LIVE BLOG: Unions hand over memoranda to government officials
Cosatu and Saftu, who collectively represent close to three million workers, embark on a national strike against corruption and unemployment.
Cosatu President Zingiswa Losi says the government has demonstrated that it does not care about the country’s workers.
Speaking outside the national treasury in Pretoria where striking workers will be handing over a memorandum - she called on trade unions to unite in the light of what she says is an onslaught by employers - as the economy continues to plummet.
Motorists have been advised that several roads would be affected in Johannesburg and Tshwane as a result of the strike action by labour federations.
Mkhize said later on Wednesday they planned to meet at the KwaZulu-Natal police provincial headquarters.
He said they also planned to stage pickets outside companies that failed to comply with safety regulations, and those refusing to pay workers Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) money that is due to them.
While the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), the National Council of Trade Unions (Nactu), and the Federation of Trade Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) members were taking part in the strike, the organisations organised different activities across the country.
As the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) prepares to lead protests against corruption and other issues across the country this week, its leaders have dismissed suggestions that the action will be detrimental to the economy.
In a historic show of unity, the two biggest labour federations in the country - the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) - who collectively represent close to three million workers, will be embarking on a national strike against corruption and unemployment.
