" Retrenchment a declaration of war on decent work " - Nzimande
15:36 -
The City of Cape Town on Wednesday questioned Cosatu's protest against e-tolls - as part of a long list of demands - when the union federation's Western Cape arm did not support recent court action against Sanral's Cape toll plans.
The Western Cape High Court on September 30, in setting aside the SA National Roads Agency's plans to toll the N1 and N2 highways in the Cape Winelands, said it found it extraordinary that the Sanral board had no written proof of its decision to toll these freeways.
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13:45 - SA Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande has told workers that retrenchment is a declaration of war on decent work. Photo by Mpho Raborife
13:18 - Cosatu marchers disrupted Bloemfontein traffic, reports website the Bloemfontein Courant.
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12:46 - Memo read out by Tony Ehrenreich listing demands. It will now be taken to the minister of transport to look over. Some of its demands include the scrapping of e-tolls as well as better public transport.
12:28 - News24’s Nick Pawson captured this video as numbers swelled in Cape Town as Cosatu marchers make their way through the CBD.
12:26 - Ehrenreich is addressing workers in front of Parliament now.
12:08 - Thulis Nxesi with SACP addresses the marchers in front of Parliament.
12:01 - Cosatu president S'dumo Dlamini is now addressing workers outside Cosatu House in Johannesburg.
11:58 - This mother of six who earns R750 a week tells Mpho Raborife that employers are cheating them. She has worked as a machinist at a linen company for 20 years.
11:53 - WATCH: Hundreds march through Durban in Cosatu protest.
11:48 - Some of the thousands of protestors outside Parliament in Cape Town.
11:42 - Some of the strikers who have braved the 35°C heat in Johannesburg to march for better wages and against e-tolls, amongst other things. Photo by Mpho Raborife.
11:32 - Tony Ehrenreich to Cape Town marchers: "No looting please."
11:20 - Protestors make their way through the streets of Cape Town.
11:13 - A very composed controlled Durban crowd.
11:06 - "Today is international worker's day and the march is to promote and advance decent work," Gauteng spokesperson Dumisani Dakile says. "You can't have decent workers when you still have labour brokers and casual staff," he says.
11:00 - According to News24 reporter, Mpho Raborife, here's apparently why the march meeting point in Johannesburg was moved: Union members were asked to move from the original meeting point in Mary Fitzgerald Square and asked to come meet in Parktown instead.
10:55 - Cape Town Metro Police and Saps officers are out in force to make sure everything stays calm. Photo from Tina Hsu.
10:47 - Strikers in Durban. Kaveel Singh behind the camera again.
10:45 - No incidents have yet been reported at any of the strikes. If you witness anything, send us your eyewitness accounts and pictures
10:44 - The crowd in Durban appears to be quite big. Photo from Kaveel Singh.
10:31 - Tony Ehrenreich at the march in Cape Town.
10:23 - Protestors doing their thing in Johannesburg. Photo from News24's Jeanette Chabalala.
10:15 - Tony Ehrenreich present at the CT march.
10:14 - Joburg march meeting point has moved to Parktown, they are still waiting for other unions to arrive, says News24 reporter Jeanette Chabalala.
10:13 - A quick look over Adderley Street shows that very few, if any, vendors are out in Cape Town CBD. During previous protests, vendors' stalls have been looted so it seems as if they're not taking chances this time around.
10:05 - Marchers are still gathering in CBDs across SA. Here are a few in Cape Town.
09:35 - There's a large contingent of Sadtu members in Durban, says Kaveel Singh.
09:30 -
People getting off the trains at Cape Town station in drips and drabs, says Paul Herman.
Are you taking part in the protest or have you seen what's happening?Send us your eyewitness accounts and pictures
09:28 - Vendors also gathered in Durban selling union merchandise.
09:25 - Cosatu demonstrators gathered at Botha's Park in Durban. Photo from News24's Kaveel Singh.
09:17 - Three lonely protesters on Keizersgracht Street in Cape Town. News24's Paul Herman says it looks as if the Cape Town march, initially planned to start at 10:00, will start a half an hour later.
09:11 -
In Cape Town's CBD as well, thousands of workers will take part in the protest that is set to start in Keizersgracht Street, proceed down Darling Street into Adderley Street, turning left into Bureau/Spin Street and turning right into Plein Street to proceed to Parliament.
The return route will be via Roeland Street to Buitenkant Street, into Darling Street and back to Keizersgracht. Participants will then disperse from Keizersgracht.
The above-mentioned roads will be closed to traffic between 09:00 and 16:00. No parking will be allowed on the route either.
09:09 -
Protests have been planned for Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
Cosatu's leaders will march to the offices of the premier in the Johannesburg CBD and the Chamber of Business, Eyewitness News reports.
08:54 -
Cosatu will embark on the "mother of all stay-aways" on Wednesday when it stages marches in all nine provinces to protest against higher taxes, e-tolls and job losses among other things burdening the working class.
The demonstrations coincide with the World Day for Decent Work.
Cosatu said its members will march and demonstrate in city centres all over the country against issues such as the deadlock on its demand to scrap e-tolls.
The union federation is also calling for a better transport system and is demanding an immediate halt to pending retrenchments.Cosatu also wants Treasury to reject the proposals to increase VAT, Eskom to be held accountable for the delays in the building of the new power stations and the release of the white paper on the National Health Insurance.
The federation’s provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich said about 230 000 members of unions affiliated with Cosatu are expected to march in Cape Town.
However, the City of Cape Town said Cosatu obtained a permit for only 10 000 participants.
http://m.news24.com/news24/SouthAfrica/News/LIVE-Workers-protest-across-SA-20151007?isapp=true
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