The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI) is gravely concerned at the impact that a wide spread strike of public service employees would have on South Africa. All the positive outcomes from the recent successful hosting of the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup will be placed at risk by such action.

The fact that the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union has announced that teachers would participate in the strike regardless of its timing, stands in contrast to a position of effectively equipping school leavers for the workforce.  It further seems that the National Education, Health, and Allied Workers' Union (NEHAWU) has little regard for the fact that they represent approximately half a million persons who are employed in essential services, including nursing and the police services, where the lives of ordinary citizens would potentially be  at risk during strike action.

The far reaching consequences of mass protest action by these persons as well as the impact on the operations of Government departments, ports of entry, hospitals and traffic officers will impede South Africa’s hesitant recovery from the recent economic downturn.  It will also jeopardise the country’s ability to generate a positive impression of South Africa as a desirable country with which to trade and in which to invest.

The unintended consequences and the undesirable negative impacts of picketing and marches on other sectors of the economy, particularly on SMMEs, where unruly and destructive behaviour often takes place cannot be overlooked. SACCI appeals to strikers to behave in a responsible manner in exercising their right to strike and to Union leaders to ensure that businesses and consumers, which are not the intended targets of the strike, do not have their rights compromised by the strike activity.

SACCI appeals to the Public Service Commission and to Labour to negotiate in good faith and to reach agreement in the shortest possible time so as to avoid the impact that a wide ranging strike would have.

Contact persons:

Neren Rau                  SACCI CEO                                       011 446 3800

Peggy Drodskie          Executive Advisor to the CEO           011 446 3800