What is Wednesday’s national trade union shutdown all about?
Trade union federations Cosatu and Saftu have called on all non-essential workers to strike for the day on Wednesday, 24 August. Protest action is planned for most of the provinces, with thousands expected to join marches calling for government intervention in the cost of living crisis. We break it down here.
By Rebecca Davis
Jobless rate dips slightly in Q2, survey finds 47% of women are ‘economically inactive’
South Africa’s unemployment rate fell slightly in the second quarter to 33.9% from 34.5% in Q1. The best that can be said is that the number is at least going in the right direction. But the level remains at simply appalling levels, and the data show that 47% of South Africa’s women are economically inactive in a formal sense, exacerbating poverty and gender-based income disparities.
By Ed Stoddard
As prices rise, the R350 Social Relief of Distress grant buys less and less
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Cost of living crunch is global, but not all countries are in the same bread basket
As South Africa braces for Wednesday’s national shutdown in protest against the surging cost of living, it is worth noting that this worrying state of affairs is a global phenomenon. Given this context, a march to the Russian embassy would be more appropriate than one to the Union Buildings as Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is among the key drivers of global inflation.
By Ed Stoddard
Petrol and diesel prices are falling: Why it’s happening and can it continue?
Petrol and diesel prices are set to drop in September for the second consecutive month after a sustained period of unrelenting increases worsened the cost of living crisis.
By Ray Mahlaka
South Africa’s spiralling social crisis – ‘act now or watch the powder keg explode’
This week the Maverick Citizen editorial focuses on three issues that suggest South Africa is a country increasingly out of control, with a government that has turned its back on the poor and most vulnerable, unable to protect them from hunger or violence. Fortunately, in each instance, civil society organisations work tirelessly to try to defend decency, dignity and rights. But it’s getting more and more difficult every day.
By Mark Heywood
Saftu and allies plan national shutdown on 24 August to demand a better life for the working class
At a Working Class Summit held in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, on Friday, the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) and its allies in civil society took a decision to stage a national shutdown on Wednesday, 24 August.
By Mark Heywood
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