Bishops Urge Peaceful Resolution to Strike
South African Schools and Hospitals Immobilized
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, JUNE 17, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Workers' dignity must be respected but striking should not endanger lives, said South African bishops, voicing their concern over a public servants' strike that is entering its third week.
The South African bishops' conference released a statement on the strike over salary increases, the worst South Africa has seen since 1994, the FIDES news agency reported.
According to the Associated Press, some 1 million people are striking, asking a 10% increase to salaries, down from an original 12% request. Unions rejected the government's latest offer on Friday of a 7.25% increase, the Agence France-Presse reported.
Municipal and private services workers have also stopped working in solidarity with public servants, causing cities around the entire country to be immobilized. Public transportation, law courts and schools are not functioning, while uncollected trash is mounting, and hospitals are refusing new patients.
The bishops' statement was signed by Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg, the president of the episcopal conference.
It said: "Our constitution upholds the democratic right to strike, but only as a last resort, when all avenues of negotiation have been exhausted.
"The fact that there were eight months of negotiation before the strike began on June 1, begs the question whether these negotiations were done in good faith?
"Public servants are a vital element in the running of any state and should be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve."
Speedy compromise
The bishops' statement continued: "The increasing levels of intimidation being reported daily in our schools and hospitals are very worrying to us as a Church. Preventing children going to school and abandoning sick patients can never be condoned."
"We therefore call for the strike to be carried out in a lawful manner," the statement said. "Those bent on harassing and intimidating non-strikers should desist from their bullying tactics.
"Some people lost their lives during the security service strike and bus strike and this is morally reprehensible. The right to strike should not endanger lives, particularly in our hospitals where an adequate staff must be present at all times."
The bishops' message concluded urging "all stakeholders to return to the negotiating table and find a speedy compromise and a way forward."
