COSATU to Announce Strike Wave for Western Cape
COSATU will be having a press conference on wage negotiations and strike action on Wednesday 10 July 2013 at 11h00, at Community House, 41 Salt River Road, Salt River.
The deepening levels of poverty and inequality due to unemployment and low wages have seen 2 Industries explode in protest and violence last year. There is a real danger of this phenomenon repeating itself this year and spreading to more Industries. The entire society agrees that we must find ways in which to avoid this and the Deputy President is working with the parties to find solutions.
The attitude of Business leaders and advisors are however taking us to the brink of renewed conflict with their unsubstantiated claims in relation to the economy. The claims presented by business leaders set the context for the engagements and makes the finding of solutions even more difficult, as it disregards the difficulties of working class communities.
An example of this is where Loane Sharp, the Adcorp economist, claims that Labour productivity has declined by 41% since 1993. This is in direct conflict with the Reserve Bank's own figures that says Labour productivity has increased by 70% since 1994. These assumptions in the economy are fundamental and will lead to conflict and strikes if clarity is not sought. Leading economist across the economic spectrum has rejected Mr Sharp's calculations and described it as nonsense. The sentiments that Adcorp presents is however shared by the National Employers Association of SA, as well as by the Deputy President of SA who in a speech at the Wits Business school quoted Sharp's figures of a 40% decline in productivity.
This voodoo economics of Mr Sharp will see growing levels of strike action across the country due to the parties having such divergent views. This is a reckless statement that should be clarified by Government so that we have a common reading of the information and facts that affect the South African economy.