“ Two thousand jobs have been cut from Eskom , and if ( the ) government its way , and closes down power stations , then we can expect at least 120,000 jobs to be lost from that process . This is because there are many companies along the value chain which depend on the existence of ( these ) power stations ,” said lrvin Jim , the general secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa ( NUMSA ), which is the country ’ s single largest union with a membership of around 4000,000 .
The Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers ( REIPPs ), to which the energy sector is allegedly being transferred , “ are completely controlled and the technology is owned by foreign capital . The addition of REIPPs to the grid makes electricity more costly and this will only worsen over time . The working class already cannot afford electricity and by privatizing it , it will mean that even more people will be denied access . The working class demands and deserves to own and participate in this sector ,” added Irvin Jim ’ s statement , extending support to SAFTU ’ s call for general strike . REACHING OUT TO NON- UNIONIZED WORKERS
A number of other demands raised by SAFTU , such as community healthcare and public housing , a prohibition on evictions from farms , rented houses or ghettos built on occupied land etc ,. Transcend the sectoral concerns of the workers organized under unions . They address the concerns of the casual workers and the ‘ self-employed ’ ailing in the unorganized sector of the economy .
“ The demands of the strike express the general demands of the working class ,” read the statement by General Industries Workers Union of South Africa ( GIWUSA ), extending support to the strike .
March , April - 2021
“ GIWUSA echoes SAFTU ’ s call in extending an unambiguous invitation to join this general strike to working class communities who are also reeling from the economic crises imposed upon them . Our enemy is one and requires working class unity in action at every given opportunity .”
Reassuring workers , especially those who are not unionized , that the employers cannot penalized workers for participating in this labour action , Vavi stressed in the press-conference last week that its
I . In Palm-Oil Fields of Indonesia :
Indonesia is the World ’ s biggest palm oil producers . Palm oil is not only used for cooking and in cooking industry , but is also used in making pet food besides being used by supply chains of some of the biggest brands of beauty business including L ’ oreal , unilever , procter & Gamble , Avon and Jhonson & Jhonson in the manufacture of their beauty products .
An investigation by the associated press into the working and living conditions of millions of toiling women in the vast plantations across Indonesia found that these women workers are not only burdened with industry ’ s most difficult and dangerous jobs spending hours , waist-deep in water tainted by chemical run off and carrying loads so heavy that their wombs can collapse and protrude for a paltry sum of $ 2 a day as wages , making them illafford to see a doctor ; but also are subjected to sexual abuse ranging from verbal harassment , beating and rape about which the victims rarely speak due to the threats . Many of these women workers are hired by sub-contractors on a dayto-day basis without any job affiliated unions have submitted a notice under Section 77 to the National Economic Development and Labour Council ( NEDLAC ) on February , providing 14-days advance intimation of the strike .
“ This means that no employer may victimize or penalize any worker who chose to participate in the strike whether those workers are members of a different union or not a member of any union . Every worker who chooses to participate in the strike has a legal protection ,” he explained .
The Plight of Workers Around the World
benefits performing the same work for the same companies for years or decades . They often work without pay to help their husbands meet otherwise impossible daily quotas .
These women often suffer fevers , coughing and nose bleeding after years of spraying dangerous pesticides with no protective gear . Even pregnant women are made to work and most of these pregnant women lose their pregnancies . They work during pregnancies fearing they would be fired if they did not work . II . Amazon Workers :
Amazon workers in 15 countries have started ‘ Make Amazon pay ’ protests . They are demanding raising workers pay , extending paid sick leaves to all employees , ending union busting etc . They allege that in July , Amazon used surveillance technology on workers to stop them from forming unions and boost productivity . They complain that Amazon had not treated them fairly during covid . 19 . ‘ Make Amazon pay ’ coalition started its agitation first in Hyderabad , home to Amazon ’ s largest office . The CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezor ’ s personal wealth grew by 13 million per hour in 2020 , but the workers saw little
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