General Industries Workers Union Of South Africa Western Cape secretary, Abeedah Adams, spoke about Saftu’s demands during the union’s national march in Cape Town.
“We are facing a bloodbath. This was already the case before Covid-19 pandemic and before we had the lockdown, but we do know that a number of employers are using that... We’re also saying that the budget is anti-poor and an austerity budget - which means that the working class and the poor will suffer more under this budget.”
“Government is placing less importance on education when deciding how to spend its money, and last year minister Mboweni announced that government would reduce education funding every year for the next three years. The consequence is that the right of learners to basic education is being compromised,” said EE spokesperson Jay-Dee Cyster.
“R1.7 billion was cut from the school infrastructure grants alone, and a further R4.4 billion has been reallocated within these grants to cover Covid-19 expenses. To add insult to injury, R276 million was taken from the basic education budget to fund South African Airways ,” Cyster said.