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Ear to the Ground

2 Million South Africans on Strike

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Posted on Aug 6, 2008
South Africa Strike
guardian.co.uk

Soaring food and fuel prices hit South Africans at a time of rising unemployment. Some analysts put the joblessness figure at up to 40 percent.

A national strike left South Africa’s streets largely deserted Wednesday as 2 million people refused to work in protest of soaring food and fuel prices. The action, led by a coalition of trade unions, was symbolic and precautionary, suggesting additional strikes if the government and business remained inept at managing the national economy.


The Guardian:

The South African mining industry came to a virtual halt today as trade unions called one of the largest strikes of the post-apartheid era.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has mobilised its two million members to take action in protest at the spiralling cost of living.

Many companies said the strike would shut down some or all or some of their production capacity.

Although refineries, car and textile manufacturing and construction work for the 2010 World Cup have also been affected, the mining sector—the backbone of the South African economy—is at the heart of the strike.

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By GW=MCHammered, August 7, 2008 at 2:54 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

The same is coming here. How brave the two million South Africans. Perhaps a bit too late.

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mackTN's avatar

By mackTN, August 6, 2008 at 10:34 pm #

that we can easily change things?  We get online and bi/moan instead of organizing ourselves and refuse to be ripped off anymore. 

Take gas.  How easy was it for oil companies to put extra money in their pockets?  They knew no one was going to do anything.

It’s taken decades for the courts to realize that cell phone companies have no right to charge us early termination fees.  Tell me, didn’t you already know it? 

Credit card companies have created our debt by blowing up interest, fees, by whatever means they choose.  Argue with them and they’ll laugh at you knowing that our govt and elected officials will not protect us.  Do you write your legislators and tell them to get off their butts immediately and do something?  If everyone in this country wrote a letter of complaint about how these corporations rip us off, ther would be big changes overnight.  Now that they’ve been assured that no one can file bankruptcy anymore, they take our money with impunity. 

Make a list of 10—ten issues that outrage you—and write your legislators about them and persuade at least one person to write as well.  We’ll all be slaves, otherwise, in 10 years.

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By Maxxie, August 6, 2008 at 8:28 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Hippy Pam, sounds like my union.  We’re conditioned, maybe numbed, to accept far less than we should, both from our gubmint and our employers.  Raygun struck fear in union rank and file by firing the FAA controllers.

What we all should have done, right then and there, is walked off the job, every member of every union in the country.  Call it a failure of union leadership, one that can’t be corrected now.

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By hippy pam, August 6, 2008 at 7:34 pm #

This is what UNIONS DO…when American workers UNIONIZED-it was with a GOAL in mind-FAIR DAYS WORK/FAIR DAYS WAGE….Our gubmint has KILLED OUR UNION-SO NOW ALL JOBS-DECENT JOBS-WITH DECENT PAY-have gone to CHINA and INDIA to the detriment of the Economy.But here is THE KICKER.THIS IS A TRUE STORY-
I am a G.M. Retiree-they sold my plant a year before I retired-The last contract we voted on had some STRIKABLE ISSUES-one of which was..—..—A microwave oven was NOT AVAILABLE in EVERY BREAK AREA!!!!no wonder the U.A.W has lost its’ CLOUT!!!

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By Dr. Knowitall, PhD, PhD, August 6, 2008 at 3:11 pm #

Now we’re talking.  Mobilizing large #s of workers is key.  I doubt the gov. can do much about food and fuel prices, but if people had the constitutional right to recall or no-confidence their leaders, such an action would, I think, produce results.

Bush has proven that 4 years + 4 years is way too long for a corrupt leader, protected by congress, his judicial system, MSM, and a seriously flawed constitution, to hold the reins of power.  You could destroy the world in 8 years, as Bush is about to prove.

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