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South Africa is in its deepest recession in a century. Unemployment has pushed past 44% and is expected to rise further. Unemployment for youth, women, people in rural areas or with disabilities is far higher. Millions of workers have lost wages, pensions and benefits during the pandemic and subsequent lockdown.

Workers in the public sector too have felt great hardship with no wage increase in 2020 and government seeking to impose a further wage freeze in 2022 and 2023. Workers at key State-Owned Enterprises have lost wages and jobs, e.g. SAA, SA Express, DENEL and SABC. Workers at various dysfunctional municipalities have at different times not been paid and have seen their employers fail to pay their pension fund contributions. Some municipal workers have been assassinated for exposing corruption and others dismissed.

Full Statement Attached

Issued by COSATU