Tens of thousands of municipal workers protested throughout the country, rejecting the South African Governments wage offer of 11.5% this year and 1.5% next year.
Municipal workers are demanding a 15% increase, a minimum wage of R5000 a month, 70 percent housing loan assistance for a bond up to R300,000 and the filling of vacant posts at municipalities.
South African Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) spokesman Dumisani Langa told the assembled workers in Johannesburg, “we want a better life for all. Not just a better life for Masondo and others.”
The largest gathering had been in Johannesburg today, where an astonishing number of municipal workers chanted slogans such as "Essentialise my salary, I will essentialise your service."
According to SAMWU and the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union, further protest activity will continue indefinitely, until protestors demands are met.
Demands were handed over to Johannesburg mayor Amos Masondo today, as he promised to co-operate with the Unions demands, even though as he claimed in his speech to the workers, “the economic climate had made wage increases difficult and circumstances had changed."
Masondo promised the angry demonstrators that “Government will work to arrive at compromises and reach an agreement that is mutually acceptable."
In response to Masondo, Union leaders made it explicitly clear and reiterated that it would not settle for any less then the demands workers are currently calling for.
Meanwhile the ruling ANC party condemned the protests and the trashing of streets witnessed in numerous parts of the country. The effect of the strike is expected to hurt the economy and cost the country millions of Rands of irrevocable damage.
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