Such a picture seldom happens as the bustling and hustling Joburgers did not make their way to work, due to the national strike by the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) on Wednesday.
Some of the shops are closed and hawkers are on high alert in the Jozi CBD.
The bone of contention is the demand of real living wage in the form of the national minimum wage and to reject the insult of R20 per hour imposed in the labour market by the ANC government.
Numsa’s general secretary Irvin Jim said the suggested minimum wage is a continuation of racism and should be scrapped is it exploits black workers.
“Through the labour bills, they use their proximity to power to extend, to defend and to maintain the continuation of the racist accumulation path of white monopoly capital through the super exploitation of black and African labour,” Jim said.
The transport sector – already affected by the bus strike – will also affect the trains.
Numsa, which has over 30 000 members, said those against the strike must remember that workers have a constitutional right to take part.
Unions are embarking on a national strike on Wednesday demanding that the national minimum wage not be implemented.
The strike one way or the other, will affect business.
In Gauteng, marchers will meet in central Johannesburg at the Newtown Precinct Park.
They will be marching to the Department of Labour, the Provincial Department of Health and the Premier’s Office.
KwaZulu-Natal
Durban’s Botha’s Place will be the hotbed of the KwaZulu-Natal march. Marchers will be going to the Durban City Hall, Departments of Labour, Economic Development and the Premier’s and Mayor’s offices.
Western Cape
In the Western Cape, marchers will be assembling at Keizersgracht and will be marching to the City of Cape Town offices and Parliament.
Eastern Cape
Marchers in the Eastern Cape will be assembling at Vusi Dlamini Square in Port Elizabeth and will be marching to Centenary Hall while in East London, they will be marching to the Department of Labour and in Queenstown will be picketing outside the Department of Labour.
Free State
In the Free State, they will be assembling at Batho Hall in Bloemfontein and will be marching to Department of Labour.
Limpopo
In the northern part of the country, marchers in Limpopo will assemble at the SABC Park in Polokwane.
They will be embarking on a march to the Departments of Labour and Social Development.
