Trade unions join hands to stage nationwide shutdown over high cost of fuel, Eskom woes

South Africa’s largest trade unions, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) have collectively planned a nationwide strike next week Wednesday, August 24 amid deepening concerns over high cost of fuel, price hikes and embattled Eskom’s instability to supply power.

In Cosatu’s official page, the union announced that in the it will officially brief the citizens about planned national strike.

“The national strike is in response to the ongoing loadshedding, fuel price hikes and escalating food prices,” read the statement.

“This socio-economic strike also represents a push back and a response by workers to the ongoing class warfare directed at them by both public and private sector employers,” further read the statement.

#COSATU Gauteng is mobilizing communities and workers to participate in the coming National Strike on August 24th against high fuel prices, energy crisis, escalating unemployment and poverty @City_Press @Radio702 @eNCA @pretorianews @Newzroom405 @JacaNews @LivePretoria @IOL pic.twitter.com/XK3cYUYVUP

— @COSATU Today (@_cosatu) August 16, 2022

The union once embarked on strike in September 2017 that was aimed at removing former President Jacob Zuma from his role of being a President at that time due to corrupt.

While Saftu will also be taking part in the protest, its wealthy and largest affiliate member, National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) says it will not back the mobilisation due to financial constraints.

For Numsa to snub the national shut down, could be attributed to ‘no see eye-to-eye’ between the union’s secretary-general Irvin Jim and Saftu secretary-general Zwelinzima Vavi as they have squabbled for a top leadership position at Saftu.