Unions want Godongwana to move away from austerity in his Budget

Workers are hoping that the revised budget to be tabled tomorrow will be more people-centered and push for economic growth and job creation.

Labour union federations Cosatu, Fedusa and Saftu have urged Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to move away from austerity measures introduced in previous budgets.

The country’s worsening unemployment figures have also raised concerns, with some unions saying it points to a country in crisis.
Cosatu’s Parliament spokesperson Matthew Parks says the lack of sufficient allocations in 2025, has left many workers anxious.

“The budget needs to speak to economic crisis. We’ve had one percent economic growth for the past 15 years. We have an unemployment rate of 43.1% of entrench levels of poverty and equality of crime and corruption. We have a state from public service departments to municipalities just to State Owned Enterprises really struggling. So, we’ really need to have the budget speak to those issues.”

Fedusa wants amongst others, for the public sector wage agreement to be maintained in the revised budget.

Fedusa’s Riefdah Ajam has called for the reinforcing of frontline departments, which he says had been decimated by austerity budget cuts over the years.

“We believe that austerity has failed in all result. It has only led to the destruction and the destroying of jobs. It has starved the public services and the knock-on effect has been the general public out there that have been deprived of vital economic services and it has only sought to widen inequality. So, in short, we will continue to reject this austerity budget, as we know that further cuts will only just have a ravaging effect on essential services.”