The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) has condemned the austerity policies being implemented by the Government of National Unity (GNU), and pledged to "be a necessary irritation" to the government until their demands are met.
At its recent National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held last week, the union’s leadership voiced concerns over what it described as a deepening socio-economic crisis for South Africa's working class. The union urged the government to adopt radical reforms instead of focusing on budget cuts.
The GNU, established after the country’s seventh democratic elections, was met with optimism by South Africa’s business sector; however, Nehawu claims that the coalition government is set to exacerbate inequalities through neo-liberal economic policies.
"The GNU is going to double down on austerity," the Nehawu NEC noted, citing the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) as evidence of the government’s continued prioritisation of budget cuts over social investment.
The union argued that the ongoing focus on austerity will worsen unemployment, poverty, and social inequality. South Africa’s unemployment rate has soared to 42.1%, with youth unemployment standing at a staggering 60.7%.
According to Nehawu, these numbers are likely to worsen under the GNU’s economic policies.
"The NEC agreed that the union must work tirelessly to roll back the dominance of neo-liberalism," the statement read, calling for collective action across multiple sectors.
Nehawu also took aim at the DA, a key party within the GNU, accusing it of pushing back against social reforms which were aimed at improving the lives of the working class.
The union criticised the DA’s opposition to clauses in the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act, the National Health Insurance (NHI) initiative, as well as its stance on the proposed Universal Basic Grant.
“The formation of the GNU has emboldened the DA with its neoliberal agenda in seeking to reverse the gains of our people,” Nehawu stated.
In addition to opposing austerity, the union called on the National Treasury to refrain from intervening in the collective bargaining process for public sector workers.
"Any pronouncements on the salaries, retirement arrangements, etc. are merely hot air as long as they have not been presented at the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council [PSCBC]," said Nehawu.
This response, according to the union, comes after the Treasury’s promise to allocate R57.6 billion to public sector wages, a pledge the union warned should not be used as leverage in ongoing negotiations.
The NEC also discussed international solidarity and Nehawu’s commitment to supporting the Palestinian struggle against what it referred to as “Israeli genocidal aggression.”
The Mercury