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Labour Q&A with Terry Bell
Fin24 user Linda Harrower wants to know how long will it take the striking workers to make up for what they have lost in this strike, even if they did get the R12 500 that they are asking for.
She suspects no one in the leadership is doing the maths for them (striking mine workers) as to the real cost of striking.
If they had the facts I think they would have settled long ago. I heard the stats years ago during another strike but it would be helpful for this information to be out in the open.
Terry Bell responds:
Hi Linda,
The facts - and the stats - are available and in the open. And the strikers are certainly aware that, even if they achieve their R12 500 demand in three or four years, it will take years to recoup lost wages.
What I think is significant is that the argument about catching up on lost wages after a strike is invariably raised by those opposing a particular strike or strikes in general.
It is seldom an issue with the strikers who tend to argue that the financial suffering, forced on employees by employers, has to be endured in order to achieve a better/decent/living wage; that history has shown that the withdrawal of labour, usually a last resort and the only weapon open to workers, has improved the lot of employees in the long term.
Regards
- Fin24
* Terry Bell is an independent political, economic and labour analyst. Views expressed are his own. Follow him on twitter @telbelsa.
Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyFin24 have been independently written by members of the Fin24 community. The views of users published on Fin24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent those of Fin24.
Fin24 user Linda Harrower wants to know how long will it take the striking workers to make up for what they have lost in this strike, even if they did get the R12 500 that they are asking for.
She suspects no one in the leadership is doing the maths for them (striking mine workers) as to the real cost of striking.
If they had the facts I think they would have settled long ago. I heard the stats years ago during another strike but it would be helpful for this information to be out in the open.
Terry Bell responds:
Hi Linda,
The facts - and the stats - are available and in the open. And the strikers are certainly aware that, even if they achieve their R12 500 demand in three or four years, it will take years to recoup lost wages.
What I think is significant is that the argument about catching up on lost wages after a strike is invariably raised by those opposing a particular strike or strikes in general.
It is seldom an issue with the strikers who tend to argue that the financial suffering, forced on employees by employers, has to be endured in order to achieve a better/decent/living wage; that history has shown that the withdrawal of labour, usually a last resort and the only weapon open to workers, has improved the lot of employees in the long term.
Regards
- Fin24
* Terry Bell is an independent political, economic and labour analyst. Views expressed are his own. Follow him on twitter @telbelsa.
Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyFin24 have been independently written by members of the Fin24 community. The views of users published on Fin24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent those of Fin24.
