Trump and Populist Proliferation

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How did someone like Donald Trump, a racist and misogynist buffoon with no political background – and who was not even the first choice for candidate for a significant sector of U.S. capital – come to power? And what does it mean for us?

The world is witnessing a rising tide of right-wing populism that threatens human and workers’ rights, and social and political freedoms won through generations of class struggle. This is seen, for example, in the rise of nationalist far-right parties like the National Front in France, Golden Dawn in Greece and, more recently, the Brexit referendum in the U.K. and the election of Donald Trump as the U.S. President. It is echoed in South Africa in politicians’ comments blaming “illegal” foreigners for crime and unemployment and in calls to tighten the boarders.

Read more: Trump and Populist Proliferation

Simunye Workers Forum - SWF

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Pick n Pay workers embark on strike action

On 28 February 2017 workers at Pick n Pay’s bakery in Isando have embarked on protected strike action. Despite the fact their strike is protected they are denied the right to picket outside their workplace because they are not members of a registered trade union.

The workers have worked for the labour broker Assist for many years and have embarked on a struggle to be made permanent under new amendments in the L...abour Relations Act. The response of Pick n Pay has been to intimidate, victimise and dismiss workers who have been struggling for their rights.

Today Pick n Pay workers are demanding a living wage and to be afforded all the benefits that are due to them.

Many of the workers earn as little as R3,200 a month, while the management enjoy huge salaries and benefits. For example, Deputy CEO Richard van Rensburg took advantage of preferential share options to acquire 400 000 shares at value of the R 14.6 million, which then had an immediate selling price of R29.5 million – an immediate gain of R14.8 million in the blink of an eye. It would take a worker 388 years to earn this amount of money.

The workers have tried on numerous occasions to communicate with management about their demands but the workers feel that management does not take the needs of workers seriously and does not treat them fairly. The workers of Pick n Pay say that the company has been abusing the workers for a long time. They demand that the company do the right thing. 

We demand to be made permanent workers of Pick n Pay!

We demand a living wage!

We demand an end to victimisation!

We demand the reinstatement of dismissed workers!

Contact: CWAO Organiser Sydney Moshaoliba 072 509 3587/ 011 873 0903

No Pravin, it was not progressive nor redistributive

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Yesterday, the Minister of Finance of South Africa stood up in the circus that passes itself off as a National Parliament and without any sense of irony what-so-ever declared that the South African state’s budget for 2017 was redistributive and progressive. If the Minister was to be believed, therefore, the budget was aimed at making a dent in the substantial class and racial inequalities that exist in the country. To back this up, supporters pointed out that the tax rate on top earners was raised marginally in the budget and people receiving dividends from shares would have to pay 5% more on these in tax. Despite this, one word could sum up the idea that the budget presented was redistributive and progressive: bullshit.

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South Africa and the changing possibilities for the Left

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The demise of COSATU, the failure of the “NUMSA moment” and the emergence of a new movement 

https://www.pambazuka.org/democracy-governance/south-africa-and-changing-possibilities-left

 With the claims that a new trade union federation will be launched in March 2017, it is appropriate to draw up a balance sheet of the labour movement in South Africa, and ask whether the optimism of many that a new Left force is going to be unleashed is justified. Or whether the possibilities for a force of revolutionary working class politics lie elsewhere.

With the claims that a new trade union federation will be launched in March 2017, it is appropriate to draw up a balance sheet of the labour movement in South Africa, and ask whether the optimism of many that a new Left force is going to be unleashed is justified. Or whether the possibilities for a force of revolutionary working class politics lie elsewhere.

Read more: South Africa and the changing possibilities for the Left