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Cosatu Provincial programme against food & electricity price hikes 14-04-08 |
COSATU provincial programmes against food and electricity price hikes
The Congress of South African Trade Unions' campaign against rising food and electricity prices is gaining momentum. All provinces are gearing for protest action. The following are planned provincial campaigns, to be updated regularly by COSATU.
Gauteng
Details of the campaign, and the May Day events, will be released at a media conference on Tuesday 15 April at 12h00, at the COSATU Gauteng Provincial Office, 4th Floor, Trust Bank Building, 63 Odendaal Street, Cnr Victoria, Germiston. For more details please phone the COSATU Gauteng Provincial Secretary, Siphiwe Mgcina, on 082 465 8336 or 011 873 2610.
Events will include:
17 April: Marches starting at 1pm to Eskom and Pick n Pay on electricity and food prices where memorandums will be handed over.
20 April: jobs and poverty meeting to finalise programme for summit and strike action for May.
Mpumalanga
17 May: the province will lead two big marches to be held in Nelspruit and Witbank.
The Nelspruit march starts at 10am, will move from the Alroe Park to the provincial Legislature and to the local police station.
At Witbank, the 10am march will move from the Lynville Stadium to the Eskom offices in Witbank.
Listening forums
27 April: Secunda Sasol Club
3 May: Siyabuswa Siyabuswa Hall
9 May: Thembisile Government Building
15 May: Nelspruit Emafemini/Freedom Square
22 May: Witbank Highveld Steal open space
For further information, please phone the COSATU Mpumalanga Prvincial Secretary, Norman Mokoena, on 082 563 6969, or 013 656 0289
Limpopo
A march took place on the weekend on 13 April to the Polokwane Magistrate's Court on food and electricity price hikes. More protest campaigns are planned and will be announced in due course. For further information please phone the COSATU Limpopo Provincial Secretary, Jan Tsiane, on 082 448 5099 or 015 291 2981
Western Cape
16 April: SACP-arranged picket at Eskom offices in Bellville.
17 April: COSATU Joint Shop Stewards Council at Dromedaris in Good Hope Centre to ensure that all unions participate in kick starting the campaign.
22 April: Lunchtime pickets at factory workplaces. There will also be industrial area meetings in Montague Gardens, Paarden Eiland, Parow, Sacks Circle, Airport Industria and Killarney Gardens.
23 April: Jobs and poverty meeting involving the broader coalition at the COSATU boardroom
1 May: May Day celebrations
4 May: ANC-initiated rally in Khayelitsha
7 May: Picket on food prices and bread price fixing at Tiger Brands.
8 May: Lunchtime factory pickets and industrial area meetings at Epping1, Epping2 and Salt River/Woodstock.
11 May: Coalition protest action against food prices and electricity in Parliament
May 2008: mass march, Section 77 national event
For further information please phone the COSATU Western Cape Provincial Secretary, Tony Ehrenreich, on 082 77 33 194, or 021 448 0045
North West
15 April: Potchefstroom local launch at 10am. Shop stewards to mobilise for May Day, jobs and against poverty.
16 April: Klerksdorp local relaunch, at 9am to mobilise for May Day, jobs and against poverty
16 and 19 April: Clustered Local SS Councils. Mass mobilisation programmes for food and electricity price action support. Mobilisation for the protection of farm workers.
20 April: Visiting Farm workers at 10am. All COSATU locals, deployees and alliance partners to target Kleinfontein, Sonop, Brits, Multiplant and Shieling farms.
23 April:Lunchtime demonstrations and pickets at identified venues
24 April: March and demonstration by Brits local in Madibeng and COSATU local in Carletonville
1 May: May Day rally
For further information, please phone the COSATU North West Provincial Secretary, Solly Phetoe, on 082 304 4055 or 018 462 2406.