Catherwood LibraryILR School

S. African council workers, employed in city maintenance functions, move into the third day of their strike over wages as union leaders retreat to consider a newly-proposed pay offer. The workers are angling for a 15% wage increase, saying that well over half of their employees receive less than minimum wage. The strike is the latest in a series of labor struggles that have swept through South Africa as unions look to newly-elected President Zuma to make good on campaign promises to organized labor. Economists however worry that wage settlement over inflation levels could actually hurt the hard-pressed economy and contribute further to raising inflation. The unions maintain that the recession has hit the poor hardest, and that working conditions for council workers are abysmal. Union leaders are scheduled to meet today to consider the new offer. Details of the proposal have not yet been released.