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Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Nov. 23, 2000
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------South Africa strikes planned against privatization
Tens of thousands of South African municipal workers in the Gautang, Cape Town and Johannesburg areas are planning strikes and demonstrations Nov. 14-17 to protest moves toward privatization of municipal services and the threat of layoffs.
The unions involved in the work actions--the South African Municipal Workers Union and the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union--have also called for messages of solidarity from supporters around the world.
According to a release from SAMWU on Nov. 9, the unions will begin marching Nov. 14 in Greater Vaal, and the next day 20,000 SAMWU and IMATU members will put their tools down in Johannesburg and converge on the Library Gardens.
Marches are set to continue in the following days in Gauteng and in Thabazimbi, where 2,000 members are protesting the privatization of sanitation jobs. SAMWU's Cape Metro Branch, with 18,000 members, pledged to strike on Nov. 16, with the action set to spread across all municipalities of the Western Cape and include 25,000 workers in all.
SAMWU and IMATU oppose the plans to carry out iGoli 2002--a proposal for restructuring municipal government that involves the privatization of many municipal services. They argue that it opens the door to fraud and corruption while eliminating many jobs and services.
SAMWU has asked that letters of support be sent to samwu@sn.apc.org.
--John Catalinotto
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