Platinum strike too long for workers
Yesterday, 23rd March 2014, the strike in the platinum belt concluded its second month and marked the beginning of the third month. This, in real terms, means that the workers who are on strike are about to lose a third month's pay in one year. This also means that the debts of those workers will be three months in arrears and this might prompt creditors to hand the workers over for debt collection or repossession.
While COSATU supports the call for a living wage and demands that the workers must be taken out of poverty, we believe that it is irresponsible to take workers on such a long strike where there are no prospects of achieving the demands.
COSATU has also noted the effect which the strike is having in the towns which are near the platinum mines, which might plunge the economy.
COSATU has also been inundated with calls from workers who want to go back to work as they are now starting to become hungry and their families are suffering due to the effects of the strike.
Most of children whose fathers and mothers are on a prolonged strike cannot go to schools due to not being able to pay for the transport and meeting the other requirements of their children at school.