New York Times: Trade Union Group, A.N.C. Ally, Holds Strikes in South Africa
Tens of thousands of South Africans marched in the streets of the nation’s major cities on Wednesday in a national strike called by Cosatu, the powerful group of trade unions, a crucial ally of the governing African National Congress that is growing increasingly critical of its policies.
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Posted in Strikes & Labor Disputes, Unions
Tagged South Africa, Strikes & Labor Disputes, Unions
August 22, 2010 — The two major civil service unions on strike against the South African government have vowed to intensify pressure in coming days, in a struggle pitting more than a million members of the middle and lower ranks of society against a confident government leadership fresh from hosting the World Cup.
Along with many smaller public sector unions, educators from the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) and nurses from the National Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) continued picketing schools, clinics and hospitals, leading to widespread shutdowns starting on August 18. Skeleton teams of doctors and military personnel were compelled to send non-emergency cases home.
In several confrontations with police at town centres, clinics and schools late last week, workers were shot with rubber bullets and water cannon. On August 21, the courts enjoined workers to return to jobs considered “emergency services”. In dozens of hospitals and clinics, military health workers took over.
South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma threatened mass sackings and attacked labour movement activists who successfully disrupted health and education facilities: “Even during the campaigns against the apartheid government we did not prevent nurses from going to work”, the leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) stated. The South African Communist Party (SACP) issued a statement defending the strikers but requested the labour movement and ANC desist from “flinging irritable insults at each other, while the private sector and anti-worker elements sit back and laugh”.
Full article at http://links.org.au/node/1852
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Posted in Strikes & Labor Disputes
Tagged public sector, South Africa, Strikes
Student protests erupt at South African university
Water cannons, rocks, burning tyres and running battles between rioting students and the police occurred on Thursday at the University of Johannesburg’s Bunting Road campus.
The protest was instigated by Sasco members after the student body called for the closure of nine universities across the country to demand free tertiary education.
Dozens of students gathered at the university’s campus, demanding free education.
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Tagged Protests, South Africa
The Mercury: Police deployed at Zululand U
A student mob burned and trashed parts of the University of Zululand yesterday, resulting in tens of millions of rands in damage.
Security on the campus has been beefed up after the rampage, with more police officers deployed there.
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Posted in Protests
Tagged Police, Protests, South Africa, Students, Zululand U
Mail & Guardian: One step closer to free varsities
Free education for poor university students moved sharply up the government’s priorities last week with the announcement of a ministerial committee to advise Minister of Higher Education and Training Blade Nzimande on how to provide it.
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Posted in Budgets & Funding, Equity
Tagged free universities, South Africa, Tuition
Independent Online: Sadtu strike unwarrented – officials
The SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) strike in Soweto was unwarranted and denied children their constitutional right to an education, school governing bodies said on Sunday.
Independent Online: Union action disrupts schooling
Children across Gauteng were turned away from their classrooms after the teacher union Sadtu called on its members to disrupt schools.
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Posted in Strikes & Labor Disputes
Tagged South Africa, Strikes & Labor Disputes, Teacher unions
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