Johannesburg - The Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa) said
it was disappointed by the SA Reserve Bank's decision on Thursday to keep the
repo rate unchanged at 5%.
"This decision represents another missed opportunity to
cut interest rates to stimulate consumer spending and economic growth,"
Fedusa general secretary Krister Janse van Rensburg said in a statement.
"The double whammy of increased transport costs and
food prices are really having an effect on the disposable income of
hard-working South Africans."
Janse van Rensburg said the monetary policy committee could
have taken greater care to consider this.
The policy of inflation targeting had a negative effect on
working citizens.
"It punishes them for rising prices determined by our
uncompetitive market by maintaining high interest rates," he said.
Workers were becoming vulnerable to price increases set by
the monopolies.
"They become the unwilling pawns in a game of chess
played by big business, and the Reserve Bank should do more as referee,"
said Janse van Rensburg.
The goals set by the National Development Plan and New
Growth Path would never be reached if the economy failed to create more jobs to
sustain the increasing demand for greater fiscal space, he said.
"If we don't grow our tax base, we will certainly see
serious tax increases next year which will place yet another burden on our
hardworking members," said Janse van Rensburg.