On 14 December 2017 the South African Federation of Trade Unions and #OutsourcingMustFall gathered at Beyers Naude Square in Johannesburg to march against the exploitation of workers through the outsourcing of work, retrenchment of employees, and the increased use of casual workers. The use of labour brokers, in both the private and public sectors, was condemned by the demonstrators. Demonstrators demanded a living wage of R10 000 per month, and also demanded that the Mayor of Johannesburg must make all workers in the city permanent.
Speaking about the Life Esidimeni tragedy, SAFTU General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said, “What Department of Health did to our people in the Life Esidimeni case was cruel”. He said Life Esidimeni highlighted the horrific consequences of outsourcing important work such as medical care to outside organisations.
According to Vavi there is growing evidence that outsourcing in the public sector does not in the long run save money, as is often claimed. The profits which go to the private companies from the government swallow up more money than any savings. A memorandum from the demonstration was delivered to the Office of the Premier of Gauteng.
Dorothy Mabelebele is a Community Journalist Activist for Karibu Newspaper at Khanya College. She writes articles about the different struggles that the Black Poor Working Class are facing on a daily basis. The struggles that she writes about is to raise awareness to the communities about issues that are happening around them.
