EFF statement on greedy employers defying national lockdown

24 March 2020

The EFF has been made aware of greedy employers who are forcing and intend to force workers to come to work despite the national lockdown announced by the President. These employers are incorrectly characterising themselves as essential services, such as telecommunications companies that conduct work for companies abroad.

The work force Of some Of these companies is way above any acceptable standards. We are aware of a call center called Capita SA a call centre based in Cape Town whose number of employees exceeds 400 people and has already instructed its employees to come to work in defiance of the lockdown. We are also aware of non-essential companies in Wynberg, Sandton who have already informed their workers to continue coming to work despite the We call for the monitoring of large and small firms that attempt to continue operations and put workers at risk while they do not fall in the category of essential services. The corruption that may take place may be in the form of small and large firms applying for relief from the state while their operations continue.

Military personnel and the South African Police Force must act swiftly and harshly on greedy capitalists who put the lives of our people at risk and undermine the efforts of the state to curb the spread of COVID-19. We urge all workers to identify and expose the greed of their bosses to SAPS and these individuals must be detained immediately.

All people in South Africa including huge corporations should appreciate that the only way to contain the virus is to completely and strictly avoid all forms of human contact until the virus infection curve is flattened and the disease defeated.

Issued by Vuyani Pambo, National Spokesperson, EFF, 24 March 2020