South Africa: Public sector workers strike demands pay increase

by wsws (reposted)

Mon, Jun 4, 2007 6:45AM

In what is being described as one of the biggest strikes in South African history, public sector workers mounted a second Friday of protest action across the country demanding a pay raise of 12 percent. On Friday, May 25, demonstrations were held in many towns and cities in preparation for the strike action taken on June 1.

With over 700.000 taking part, services across the board are being disrupted. Seventeen trade unions were involved with memberships totaling close to 1 million.

The BBC reported police firing rubber bullets outside a hospital in Cape Town in attempts to disperse demonstrating nurses. Nurses and doctors joining the strike have been threatened with disciplinary action by public service and administration minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi.

The education sector is also being affected and workers in justice, home affairs and correctional services were involved in the walkouts. The strike was observed across all nine provinces in South Africa. Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) spokesman Patrick Craven told Reuters, “Reports so far indicate a very, very good turnout.”

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http://wsws.org/articles/2007/jun2007/safr-j04.shtml

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