Today, 7 October 2024, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) is leading a nationwide strike to protest South Africa’s economic challenges. Marking the International Day for Decent Work, Cosatu, representing over 1.8 million South African workers, demands a halt to job losses, retrenchments, wage violations, and high living costs. Protests occur across key locations such as Parliament and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) has pushed back, criticising Cosatu for using a 2017 strike certificate and calling for legislative reform to limit strike certificate validity to 12 months. BUSA argues the protests place undue pressure on the struggling economy and businesses. Despite this, Cosatu maintains that their actions are lawful and necessary to address systemic unemployment and inequality​.

The federation’s demands also address corruption, gender-based violence, and the rising cost of living. Eskom’s proposed 36% tariff hike for 2025, along with the escalating price of basic necessities like food, has exacerbated the financial pressures on South Africans.

This is the second time that Cosatu has embarked on a national strike to protest the economic and social conditions in South Africa. A member of the Tripartite Alliance, which includes the ANC, Cosatu has been vocally critical of government economic policies since the Mbeki Administration, which it brands as “the 1996 class project”, which emphasised economic growth and privatisation over government-led job creation and development. 

As South Africa grapples with economic inequality, recent data reveals that half the country’s workers earn less than R5,530 monthly. This disparity further highlights the importance of Cosatu’s protest, with wages falling far short of covering basic living costs. These earnings place many South Africans under immense financial strain as inflation and costs for essentials like food and electricity continue to rise​.