Following massive demonstrations by workers and other government employees on July 23 and August 24, union leaders met with Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi of the African National Congress-led government on September 7.

COSATU officials said those present at the meeting agreed to a two-week period to consider union proposals on where more money could be obtained to fund a wage increase for government employees. Union officers are now demanding a 7.3 percent increase. The government's last offer was 6.3 percent – roughly equivalent to the consumer inflation rate.

A day after the meeting, however, Fraser-Moleketi declared there was "no more fat to cut" and said there would be no further talks on wage increases this year, only on future wage policy.

A statement issued by COSATU September 9 said if Fraser-Moleketi refused to comply with the September 6 agreement it would represent "the most serious attack on the very right of trade unions to exist" and as a result there would be "no basis to negotiate with the government now and in the future."

Leaders of the 1.8-million-member union federation, which is politically aligned to the ANC, said they would discuss their response to the minister's announcement at an executive committee meeting September 14-15. The great majority of COSATU members are black.

Officials of public sector unions and associations belonging to the Federation of South African Trade Unions, which has a higher percentage of members who are white, were also discussing their response. An important feature of the recent union protests has been joint action by workers belonging to both federations.

Meanwhile, thousands of members of the Communications Workers Union (CWU) have continued their fight against the telephone utility, Telkom. The majority of the utility is state-owned, with U.S.-based SBC Communications and Telekom Malaysia holding 30 percent of the company.

CWU members are demanding wage increases of 7-10 percent. Telkom bosses are only offering 6-6.5 percent.

Following several weeks of strike action, work-to-rule protests, and overtime refusal by union members, Telkom declared on September 6 that it would lock out workers who refused to sign a "final offer."

In response, thousands of workers ignored the lockout threat and protested throughout South Africa, including hundreds outside the All-Africa Games in Johannesburg.

As employers in a range of industries continue to destroy jobs at a rapid pace, many miners are taking the lead in fighting these job losses.

More than 4,000 members of the National Union of Mineworkers at the Kloof gold mine near Carletonville marched on September 2 to protest threatened layoffs. And on September 9, 391 gold miners from Durban Roodepoort Deep scored a victory when the Labor Court ruled in their favor, stating that the company had failed to "consult" them before laying them off. Although the company said it would not appeal the decision, it threatened to keep the miners suspended pending talks with the union.  
 
 
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