The National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] supports the National Day of Action of our federation, the Congress of South African Trade Unions [COSATU]. Indeed, the Central Executive Committee [CEC] of COSATU resolved to go on a nationwide strike on the 27th September 2017 to fight corruption, state capture and job losses.

As NEHAWU, we are currently at the advanced stage of mobilisation and preparations for the strike. The strike is of importance to us since it seeks to address issues that impact heavily on our members in particular, workers in general and the society at large.

In our support for the national strike, we make the following demands:

· Full implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI)

· An end to the mass corruption in both the private and public sectors which is stealing jobs from the working class and robbing poor communities of much needed services

· State capture which has looted billions from government has resulted in the wasting of our taxes must be exposed and eradicated.

· The bailout of struggling state-owned enterprises like South African Airways [SAA] using funds from the Public Investment Corporation [PIC] must be stopped.

· Housing for public service workers

· Provision of safe and reliable public transport and the scraping of e –tolls including expensive tollgates

· Total scrapping of labour brokers

NEHAWU encourages all its members and society to partake in this national strike. COSATU has secured a national certificate from NEDLAC which in terms of Section 77 of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995, declares the 'strike' as a protected strike. This means that no employee will be victimised for taking part in the strike and we call upon employers to respect labour rights and refrain from victimising or unfairly disciplining workers for participating in the strike.

 

Issued by NEHAWU