Catherwood LibraryILR School

South African labor unions are staging a nationwide strike today to protest a wage bill that, if approved, would set the minimum wage at 20 rand an hour, the equivalent of $1.60 USD. The bill was approved by the cabinet in November and set to be introduced on May 1. However, in the midst of disagreements over its’ contents, a parliamentary committee recently sent the bill back to the labor ministry to be redrafted. One member of the metalworkers union NUMSA said the proposed minimum wage is a “spit in the face of the working class”. The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) represents roughly 800,000 workers in 30 different unions. They are staging six marches around the country to urge the government to radically change the wage legislation.