Newsletter 86- Strike action irony-27 August 2010
In the past week, teachers and medical personnel in the public sector have been on strike. This has resulted in the loss of much needed teaching time as well as the neglect of patients in hospitals and clinics.
Strikingteachers and medical personnel in the public sector want a salary increase of 8.6% and a housing allowance of R1000. Last week, when the strike started, the Government offered these public servants a 7% salary increase and a housing allowance of R700, which was rejected.
The impact of the strike has been far reaching. Pupils have had their teaching year compromised - especially matriculants who will be writing their preliminary and final exams shortly. In the public healthcare sector, the strike has had devastating consequences. Patients have been left uncared for and those seeking medical attention at public clinics and hospital have been turned away.
A record of strike action since 1979 shows that the peak year in terms of mandays lost was in 2007. During that year’s public servants strike nearly 13 million maydays were lost. The previous record was in 1987, when nine million mandays were lost as a result of strike action, in two large strikes in the mining and transport sectors. The third highest number of mandays lost was four million in 1990.
Given the intensity of the current public sector strike, and with other unionised workers set to join the strike, it is now possible that this year’s labour action will set a record for the greatest number of mandays lost over the last three decades. This is particularly ironic considering that the labour unions leading this strike played such a prominent role in bringing the current Government to power.
-Nachi Majoe
by
nmajoe
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last modified
2010-09-01 23:27
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