South African unions are set to stage a one-day strike in the four provinces over the course of the week and platinum mines could see their production affected.

The strike will take place in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo and North West provinces in reaction to the rising cost of food and energy.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has called the strike and said the disruption is likely to be "minimal compared with that caused by the electricity crisis".

Patrick Craven, a spokesman for the organisation, told Bloomberg that it was necessary to take strike action.

Eskom, the country's main energy supplier, has raised electricity prices by 27.5 per cent to fund an expansion of its network.

But unions feel this will only lead to poverty and unemployment rather than an improvement.

The strike will be followed by a national strike which is scheduled for August 6th.



Source:
South African Unions to Strike Over Power Prices: Week Ahead, 21/07/08
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