S Africa unions stage mass strike
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Thursday, August 07, 2008
South African trade unions have held a one-day strike, which has caused widespread disruption and brought much of the economy to a standstill.
Some of the country's biggest mining companies say they have been badly hit.
The public transport network was severely disrupted, with a knock-on effect on schools, mines and carmakers.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) sought to mobilise its two million members to protest against the high cost of living.
Public transport was affected across the country, unions said, with long queues forming for buses and taxis in Johannesburg. Many workers and students stayed at home as a result of the disruption.
Though the march was meant to focus on the cost of electricity, the banners and chants show that for most, this is a chance for the poor to vent their anger at steep rises in the cost of food and fuel, our correspondent says.
"Food is at a higher price than petrol. Everything is high. We cannot live life like this. We are sick and tired... The government must make a plan," one woman said.
"I've got a house, but what about the people who are staying on the street? People are dying, especially in the wintertime," a man said.
Similar rallies were held at 17 other locations across South Africa. All nine provinces were involved in the strike.