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Cosatu to stage nationwide strike due to retrenchments

Cosatu
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Cosatu says it will stage a nationwide strike on February 13 over large-scale retrenchments at ailing state-owned firms and private companies.

The labour federation’s spokesperson Sizwe Pamla says threats of job cuts at Eskom, the SABC as well as other government plans to squeeze head counts have prompted the nationwide strike.

The labour federation’s plan poses a major threat to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s plan to revive the economy by cutting the government’s wage bill and reforming state firms that are drowning in debt and plagued by corruption.

Eskom has announced plans to shed around 7 000 staff over the next five years.

The SABC plans to lay off 981 permanent employees and terminate the contracts of 2400 freelancers.

Numerous mining firms also plan massive layoffs. Impala Platinum plans to reduce its workforce by a third, Sibanye-Stillwater expects to cut 12 600 jobs over three years and Gold Fields will shed more than 1000 jobs.

Standard Bank aims to cut 526 information technology jobs.

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