Johannesburg - The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) says it stands in solidarity with workers who will be participating in a total shutdown of the public sector today.
The national strike is a joint action organised by Cosatu, the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) and the Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa).
Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim said that workers in the public sector have been denied a meaningful increase for three years.
“Government refused to implement the last leg of the PSCBC Resolution 1 of 2018, and this has been a trend to date. They have been driving an agenda to attack collective bargaining and attack the rights of workers,” said Jim.
He said that the government has imposed an austerity budget on workers, making it impossible for workers and their families to survive from month to month, and that the working class in this country is under siege as a result of economic pressures.
“Numsa supports the demands of workers who are demanding a 10% increase across the board. They are fed up with being exploited and abused by the government, the employer,” he added.
Jim said that it was outrageous that members of Parliament and Cabinet ministers live a comfortable lifestyle with generous benefits, and this is funded by the very same workers whose increases they are refusing to honour.
The Star