The Congress of South Africa trade unions will embark on a nationwide protest and other activities all across the country on Friday 7 October 2022 to mark the world day for decent work.
This is a section 77 protected national action that forms part of our international day of Decent Workday.
From its very founding the Federation committed itself to organise and unite workers based on improving their wages and raising their standard of living and making sure that they protect themselves from the insecurities of life.
Recently, the South African government finding itself incapable of dealing with this ongoing capitalist crisis has resorted to increasing austerity measures. This has seen cuts in public spending, leading to massive reduction in all aspects of social and economic benefits to the people, in wages, retirement benefits and pensions, health and education and social welfare transfers.
The federation has demanded that the government show that it is ready to abandon the ineffectual budget cuts and adopt a macro-economic framework geared to address the basic needs of the people, transform the economy, strengthen the public service, and renew efforts to build a capable developmental state in the upcoming Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS).
The Federation is encouraging all workers to participate in the planned activities and exercise their right to demand that employers and policymakers respect labour laws and take seriously the calls for decent work.
Below, as per the COSATU draft deployment list are some of the confirmed venues:
- Gauteng: March Delivering memorandums to treasury and mineral council. Assembly Point: Johannesburg: Mary Fitzgerald Square Time @ 09h00. At 11h00 a Memorandum will be dropped at Premier’s Office which is opposite the square. Then proceed to Harrison Street, proceed West Wards towards Anderson Street, then Turn right into Pixley ka Seme Street and move to Minerals Councils to Submit a memorandum then March back to Mary Fitzgerald square.
- Western Cape: March from Hanover Street in Cape Town to the Office of the City of Cape: Submitting the memorandum and expect mayor to collect the memorandum Affiliates is mobilizing their members to attend the march and protest
- Limpopo: Marching to DEL, Pick and Pay and Shoprite and PnP Route R37 towards Burgersfort town SEKHUKHUNE: Tubaste District Assembly point at 08h00 Tubatse Crossing
- Free State: Qwaqwa March The local will be handing over a memorandum to Roots Butchery. Starting at Old Phuthaditjhaba Square to Roots Butchery 10am to 12pm
Following the socio-economic strike on the 7th of October 2022, the federation will assess the programme of action and decide on the way forward. The federation reserves the right to extend the programme of action should it be necessary.
What is Section 77? | Nedlac
- The intention of Section 77 of the LRA is to get parties to talk in the hope that disputes of a socio-economic nature can be resolved through social partner engagement.
- To this end parties are discouraged from using Section 77 and Nedlac as a rubber stamp to get permission to strike.
- Once the engagements have deadlocked the Standing Committee makes a ruling that further engagements will serve no benefit to the parties.
- The Standing Committee will, based on this decision, issue a Sec 77 (1)(c) notice to the applicants.
- Should the applicants decide to engage on protest action they must give a 14-day notice period in the form of a Section 77 (1)(d) notice which advises Nedlac of the date of the protest.
- This protest is then considered protected, and no employer may institute disciplinary action against any worker who chooses to join the action.
The rule of no-work-no-pay applies for workers who are taking the day off to join the protest action.
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