- Title: SOUTH AFRICA: Strike shuts mines and factories
- Date: 6th August 2008
- Summary: (BN09) DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA (AUGUST 6, 2008) (REUTERS) WIDE OF DURBAN CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT WITH EMPTY BUS TERMINAL ON THE FOREGROUND EMPTY BUS TERMINAL ROW OF CLOSED SHOPS MORE CLOSED SHOPS PARKED TAXIS
- Embargoed: 21st August 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: South Africa
- Country: South Africa
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA8WG6C3PRZO5JD8VWIQ8KMQTOG
- Story Text: Striking South African workers forced mines and factories to shut on Wednesday (August 6) in a protest against rising power, food and fuel prices that brought key sectors of the continent's biggest economy to a standstill.
The one-day strike helped push global platinum prices up 3 percent and added to investor worries over South Africa.
Thousands of workers assembled outside city hall in the capital Pretoria while a sea of supporters gathered in Cape Town, which hosts the parliament. Police, some on horseback, tried to keep order, in scenes replicated across the country.
The nearly 2 million-strong Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), an ally of the ruling African National Congress, says the action was a warning to employers not to sack workers because of a downturn in profits due to a power crisis.
In Durban the COSATU provincial General Secretary Zet Luzipho told Reuters that impact of rising food and oil prices was the focus of the strikes.
"We will continue to focus our campaign on the question of food prices, on the question of fuel hikes, on the issue of interest rates which has led to many of our people having their houses, cars, being repossessed, and therefore that's basically some of the issues that COSATU has said is going to campaign on," said Luzipho.
COSATU has vowed to fight President Thabo Mbeki's market-friendly and pro-business stance, and wants his government to subsidise basic staples and pay workers better.
Unions are close to ruling party leader Jacob Zuma, likely to succeed Mbeki after general elections next year if he beats graft charges in court, another issue that has deepened political uncertainty.
Some investors fear Zuma could be influenced by labour to shift to the left, despite his assurances to the contrary.
Clad in the red colours of the labour federation, protesters snarled traffic as they marched through the streets of Pretoria, and waved placards that read: "Say no to the high food prices!", and "My take home salary is not even enough to take me home!"
Mines, car makers, textile factories, and businesses were shut as workers stayed away, while construction of stadia for the 2010 Soccer World Cup and the mass transit Gautrain high-speed rail project was also likely to be affected.
Many workers and students stayed at home after public transport was disrupted, while normally busy streets in downtown Johannesburg were quiet as businesses closed.
The strikes halted almost all taxi operations and many bus services around the country.
"It has affected me a lot, 'cause I have to be at work, my bosses want me there, so I am stuck here" said a woman who was stranded at the Randburg taxi rank, in North of Johannesburg.
"I think all the strike is affecting all the divisions and the private sectors, and our employment also has been affected with regard to what has been taking place today, and I am just thinking that it was the right thing to do, to let the national strike to bring everything to the government's attention that they should try as much as they can that we don't higher prices of the product." said another commuters, Harold Mashishi.
Analysts said the strike could further dent a slowing economy, with growth seen at around 3 percent this year from an average 5 percent over the past four years.
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