‘All workers will be protected,' Saftu pledges as it joins EFF national shutdown

The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) has implored its members to join the EFF’s national shutdown protest later this month.

The EFF has been garnering support for its planned protest against load-shedding and other service delivery issues set for March 20.

Speaking at the Saftu national executive committee this week, general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said the union had agreed to participate after the EFF had made a request.

“This means we will galvanise and mobilise our members to join the national shutdown across the country,” Vavi said.

He said the union would also ensure that workers who participate would be protected.

“We have submitted section 77 notice to Nedlac to protect all workers in and outside the federation. This means any worker, even if they are not members of unions affiliated to Saftu, will be protected from victimisation by employers.”

The unions’ support was not without conditions. Vavi said the EFF’s demands would also have to highlight working-class challenges and include socioeconomic challenges.

“Saftu’s principal demands include the creation of decent jobs by rebuilding our manufacturing base through re-industrialisation, addressing the escalating cost of living by through not only restructuring the economy but the introduction of the universal basic income grant, increasing the minimum wage to a living wage, combating crime and gender-based violence and ending load-shedding,” he said.

The EFF welcomed the union's decision.

“Saftu, which boasts a membership of over 700,000, led by 20 affiliate unions, is among the strongest federations organised labour in SA. The decision by Saftu to form part of the national mass action demanding electricity and the resignation of Cyril Ramaphosa is therefore in the interest of all workers,” read the statement.

On the same day as the EFF’s protest, a court case by opposition parties, NGOs and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) against the government on the electricity crisis will be heard in the high court in Pretoria.

In January, TimesLIVE reported the DA launched an urgent case to interdict the recent decision by the regulator to hike the electricity tariff, while other parties, NGOs and Numsa sent a letter of demand for load-shedding to be stopped.