Several labour union federations and civil society organisations have come together to pressure the government into introducing measures aimed at protecting the poor and to introduce a Basic Income Grant of R1 500 a month.
Leaders of the organisation including AMCU, SAFTU, United Front under a banner Cry of the Xcluded held a press briefing in Auckland Park, Joburg on Tuesday demanding among others, the introduction of a basic income grant.
Saftu Secretary General Zwelinzima Vavi said they will continue with their demonstrations during the Sona and budget speech set to be delivered by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwane on Thursday.
“This February, when President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers his useless State of the Nation Address and when the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana announces another budget which steals from the poor to give to the rich, we will be protesting. We will be making clear to the government that they have lost touch with the people. The entire month of February will be a month of mass education and action,” he said.
Vavi said the coalition partners will also create awareness to reach more people during this period through the holding of speak-outs, teach-ins, protests and demonstrations that are aimed at channelling people’s anger towards the right cause.
“And this is not a once-off process. For the rest of 2023 leading up to 2024, we will be organising and mobilising for the Year of Mass Action campaign.”
According to Vavi budget cuts hurt the underprivileged the most and cutting budgets during economic stagnation will destroy the very tools and resources needed to just-start the economy he said and also called for the government to fix Eskom.
“We reject and condemn all those who wish to privatise Eskom and who welcome its death spiral. We demand a new transparent and accountable Eskom, free from corruption, that moves to generate 100% renewable energy at the cheapest possible price. Many more households should be provided with free basic electricity as well.”
The United Domestic Workers of South Africa founder and president Pinky Mashiane said domestic workers are exploited and no one cares about them.
“Domestic workers are invisible until when there are elections they call for a meeting with us. They only want our votes but domestic workers have been bitten by pitbulls and no one says anything but if it was other professions, it would have been a different story,” she said.
In January a Potchefstroom 47-year-old Selina Kokolosi was attacked by three pitbulls that ripped off her nose, lips, ears, and thighs, at her workplace where she’d been working as a domestic worker for three years.
Mashiane called for a Basic Income Grant of up to R1500 for all unemployed and precarious workers who earn below the national minimum wage.
“People are starving and without food, to end this, the State should look to progressively introduce an unconditional universal basic income grant. This Basic Income Grant would boost the economy, creating demand for products and services, and thus creating many jobs,” she said.
