Marikana Support Campaign / Right2Know campaign / Socio Economic Rights Institute

Press Release 12 August 2018

It has been a full six years since the Marikana massacre took place. Most of the recommendations that came out of the Farlam Commission have still to be acted upon. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate recommended almost two years ago that 71 police officers be charged. To date only a few police are facing charges relating to the incident that began on the railway tracks on August 13th 2012.

Boycott Shoprite!

Over 100 workers at Shoprite in Windhoek have been facing disciplinary charges and possible dismissal for 3 years for taking part in a strike which provoked by Shoprite’s illegal conduct. The workers are bravely fighting to keep their jobs and they want to be treated with respect and justice at work.

In July 2014 Shoprite unlawfully withheld a salary increase from those of its workers who belonged to a trade union that was seeking recognition as their collective bargaining representative. After the company ignored the workers’ petitions, they commenced a strike to resist this illegal discrimination. After one day, Shoprite backed down and paid the workers their increase.

General Industries Workers Union of South Africa, press statement 30 May 2018

The General Industries Workers Union of SA (GIWUSA) is not surprised that the ANC government has rushed through the National Assembly the three Labour Bills – namely the Basic Conditions of Employment Bill, National Minimum Wage Bill and the Labour Relations Amendment Bill. The passing of these Bills represents a dark day in the history of the South African working class. The three passed Labour Bills together constitute a huge setback for the working class of South Africa. These Bills are part of the agenda of the Ramaphosa Administration to bring about reform to appease the rating agencies and local white monopoly capital. Their intention is to place more limitations on the workers’ main weapons in the arena of collective bargaining, i.e. strikes and pickets and to drive down the wages of the South African working class.

Stop Israel's Killing Of Palestinians!
End Israel's Attacks On Gaza!!!

In the latest grotesque human rights violations and brutality since Israel's 2014 'Operation Protective Edge', we as organisations in solidarity with the people of Palestine are outraged by the latest act of brutality and premeditated murder by the Zionist Israeli state against the Palestinian people. We have no words strong enough to condemn what has now become known as the “Passover Massacre”.

Civil society organisations have expressed deep concern about the attack on Mozambique human rights defender, Ericino de Salema, which took place in Maputo on the 27th March 2018. Mr Salema, a journalist, a rights activist and political analyst was allegedly kidnapped by unknown gunmen in the country’s capital city. Reportedly, these men had being following Salema when they took him by surprise after he entered his car parked alongside the Avenida 24 de Julho in the Maputo city centre. Salema did not offer any resistance to his attackers.

Members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) are on strike at Abengoa South Africa in the Northern Cape. This company is but one of the renewable energy plants based in the Northern Cape. Abengoa is the perfect example of the kind of renewable company which the energy minister is actively promoting.

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Press Release, 8 March, 2018

More than 100 years ago on March 8, 1917, women working in the textile factories in Petrograd — then the Russian capital — led a historic protest on International Women's Day. Their actions contributed to the spark that lit the Russian Revolution which overthrew the oppressive rule of Tsar Nicholas II, and ended the Romanov dynasty and the Russian Empire. Their revolutionary actions paved the way for the formation of a truly equal, worker controlled government and society.

Municipal and Allied Trade Union of South Africa
Press Statement, 28 February

MATUSA is appalled at the brutal actions of the South African Police who shot and injured a number of our members earlier today. Workers were striking as a result of the municipality not paying the February salaries. Salaries are payable on the 25^th day of each month . Workers expected to get paid by Friday 23^rd February as the 25^th would have been on Sunday. On Monday MATUSA members downed tools in protest as they had still not received their salaries. They were soon joined by other workers resulting in no service delivery taking place.

 The NTM and SAFTU on the Constitutional Court dismissal of the PRASA appeal against the Labour Appeals Court decision to reinstate 700 workers dismissed in February 2013

The National Transport Movement (NTM) and South African Federation of Trade Unions SAFTU are elated at the dismissal of the PRASA appeal to the Constitutional Court. 

PRASA had sought to reverse the historic victory workers scored when on the 21 November 2017 the Labour Appeal Court upheld the appeal launched by SAFTU’s affiliate, the National Transport Movement (NTM), and reinstated 700 PRASA workers with full pay backdated to 4 February 2013.