Bobby Wilcox reports from Cape Town on the massive wave of industrial action that convulsed South Aftrica
The strikes by employees in the public sector in in August and September brought about 1.3 million workers into militant industrial action. There was a significant display of unity and solidarity between members of different trade union federations. These included the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), the Independent Labour Caucus, the Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa), incorporating inter alia, the formerly black consciousness orientated National Council of Trade Unions (Nactu) and the right-wing, largely Afrikaner based union - Solidarity. The striking workers enjoyed widespread public support with sympathy strikes coming from the South African Municipal Workers' Union and the police and prison service workers' union, while Cosatu threatened a one-day general strike. The workers initially demanded an increase of 11% plus a R500 housing allowance, altered in the first round of negotiations to a demand for an 8.6% increase plus a R1000 housing allowance. The State's counter offer of 6.5% plus a R620 housing allowance was strongly rejected, even after this was increased to 7% plus a R630 housing allowance. The strike took on distinct political overtones when workers angrily pointed to the profligacy of cabinet ministers and other government officials' expenditure on luxuries for themselves, the use of public money for the purchase of expensive soccer World Cup tickets, also cynically decrying the fact that the public has to subsidise the maintenance and comfort of President Jacob Zuma's twenty children and four wives. The mass media focussed attention on the participation of doctors, nurses and teachers in the strike, largely neglecting the far greater role of lay employees in the public sector. Indeed, doctors, nurses and teachers are grossly underpaid in South Africa, but some of them, while supporting protest action, declined to go on strike, choosing to continue in their important roles in the public service. It was here that some strikers at picket lines blotted their copy book by denying members of the public seeking treatment, entry into public hospitals. The strike lasted for just over three weeks, with millions of Rands being lost to the state daily, when President Zuma called for urgent and serious intervention by both the unions and the state. Cosatu lifted its threat of a general strike while negotiations reopened and the strike was suspended. The strike had taken its toll on workers who were made to sutter by the "no work, no pay" rule, which the government rigidly applied. After lengthy negotiations, with the state increasing its wage offer to 7.5% with an R800 housing allowance and workers attempts to mitigate salary losses, the strike was finally called off on 13/14 October. Workers expressed anger at the behaviour of their union leaders but nevertheless submitted to the decision to end the strike. On its part, the leadership of Cosatu belatedly issued an apology to the African National Congress for the workers' attack on cabinet ministers and President Jacob Zuma during the strike. It is clear that workers are no longer prepared to tolerate being given the short end of the economic stick while ANC apparatchicks continue to enjoy extravagant benefits. The wounds that workers suffer have not been healed and unless the ANC government is prepared to give serious and positive attention to the ills being suffered by its employees in the public sector, more serious opposition to government policies can be expected in future. Bobby Wilcox is a leading member of the African People's Democratic Union of
Southern Africa