The National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (NUPSAW) will be joining the South African Federation of Trade Unions’ (SAFTU) protest ahead of the country’s national budget speech on Wednesday, 23 February 2022.
NUPSAW members will be marching side-to-side with other SAFTU affiliates today in Cape Town, where Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana will be tabling his budget vote.
Saftu’s list of demands ahead of the budget include:
- Introducing a wealth or solidarity tax on wealthy South Africans;
- Increasing the corporate tax rate;
- The introduction of a monthly basic income grant of R1,500 for the unemployed and lowest paid;
- Reversing budget cuts and increasing spending on service delivery;
- Increased spending on infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and police stations;
- The introduction of a job guarantee scheme for the country’s 12.5 million unemployed workers;
- The nationalisation of major farms, banks and mines
SAFTU general secretary Comrade Zwelinzima Vavi has emphasised the need for the implementation of a basic income grant. He says it will boost the economy, creating a demand for products and services, and thus creating many jobs. He added that government must focus on attracting the people back into the economy instead of just foreign investors. “We demand a basic income grant of R1,500 and further reject the privatisation and commoditization that is creeping into every aspect of our lives.”