Thee Strikes and You're Out (of Luck)

those of you in the know may already know south africa is going through a public sector strike. public workers differ here in some ways from back in the states. they're also the same in many ways. here in south africa, some hospitals operate under the government as do schools. so a strike not only sends children home requiring their parents to stay home with them but it cripples hospitals. and not to disparage africa's public sector but i'm not going out on a limb when i say that the public sector wasn't doing so hot to start with. the post office queues are like watching the grass grow. car registration already had a backup of months with cars sitting on lots, sold but unable to be given to their owners.

in slow stages, more and more of the public workers are striking demanding a 12% pay increase to account for inflation. the government only wants to pay out 6%. at one point the offer went up to 7%. no dice.

one thing i haven't spoken about enough is that protests are not uncommon in this country. lots of frustration leads to lots of protesting and the protests are on the news frequently. while in the states, protests involve angrily waving pickets, angrily walking in circles, and angrily shouting through loudspeakers, protests here have dancing. it's called "toi-toi-ing" and it has moves and songs that go along with it. so it's kind of a different feel.

but that's only when things are going well. when things go worse, it goes way worse.

the resentment that has formed between public workers that strike and those who don't has resulted in an almost irish-factory-worker-esque "don't cross the picket line" mentality. some striking teachers and workers are going to work and beating up those that are working. one hospital had its drains blocked and then faucets left on to flood the place. tragically counterproductive.

last week the koombi drives (not in the public sector) striked in sympathy. this left kitchens unstaffed all over kwazulu-natal. 90% of restaurants have stayed closed or closed early.

next week things may get worse. police haven't joined the strike but they've threatened to join in eventually if the 12% isn't met soon. so far, the military has stepped in to try to help out in hospitals where nurses are providing only a skeleton crew. but the military (i've heard) wants an 18% pay hike... so if the cops walk, who knows what will happen. i think nobody expects it to go that far. BUT. one thing i picked up on quickly here is that a lot of people believe that the government is sitting on piles of cash. with such a high tax-rate, they argue, where is all the money going? bear in mind, south africa doesn't have the borrowing power that the united states has. we don't print our own money here. the world cup has allowed south africa a lot of leeway but it only goes so far as people believe in their investment. a nation of striking workers demanding what their government can't give them... well you do the math.

the difference in people is exemplified by the scene as well. the public sector is largely black while the private sector... else. striking never occurred under the "old" government and it highlights shortcomings of the current government and even the direction of the country. others just don't understand why the government won't give it's people the raise necessitated by inflation.

one last thought. the inflation is caused by rising oil prices. rising oil prices which are being caused by a war in iraq headed by the united states. the cause and effect relationship isn't talked about as such here. or at least i haven't heard it yet.