South Africa’s biggest financial union is planning a major strike at the end of September 2019.
Sasbo – which currently has over 73,000 members – will down tools at the end of the month in protest over planned retrenchments in the banking sector.
The union wants banks to consider options other than retrenchments and begin a program to re-skill employees whose positions are at risk, said Sasbo general secretary Joe Kokela.
“If the banks say no, the struggle continues and we will make sure we shut down the system until they come to their senses,” Kokela said.
“We can even make sure replenishment of ATMs are kept to a minimum so that the country runs short of money.”
According to eNCA, the strike has the support of South Africa’s largest trade federation Cosatu, which has warned that the strike is ‘just a warm up’.
“All Cosatu-affiliated unions will mobilise to ensure that the Sasbo banking sector strike on 27 September is successful,” said deputy general-secretary Solly Phetoe.