COSATU KZN is set to lead a National Day of Action to address the escalating cost of living, urging workers and communities to unite against financial pressures affecting households across the province. Image: Ayanda Ndamane/ Independent Newspapers
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in KwaZulu-Natal has announced plans for mass mobilisation across the province as part of a National Day of Action against the escalating cost of living, saying workers and poor households can no longer absorb the impact of rising prices.
The announcement follows a meeting of the federation’s Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) on 11 June 2026, where political, organisational and socio-economic developments were discussed, with the worsening cost of living crisis emerging as a key concern.
The planned action comes during the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the June 16 Uprising.
As part of the campaign, COSATU KwaZulu-Natal said demonstrations, pickets and mobilisation activities would take place across districts and local structures.
The main provincial programme is scheduled for Friday, 19 June 2026, at 10am at the Marine Building government offices in Durban.
In its statement, COSATU KZN linked current socio-economic conditions to the broader struggle for social justice and economic transformation, saying the aspirations of the 1976 generation remain incomplete.
The federation said workers, unemployed people, pensioners, grant recipients and poor households continued to face increasing financial pressure as fuel price hikes pushed up the cost of food, transport, electricity, housing, healthcare and education.
COSATU argued that the impact of rising living costs had extended beyond economics and was increasingly becoming a social and psychosocial challenge.
“Workers are experiencing increasing levels of stress, anxiety and mental exhaustion as they struggle to provide for their families under worsening conditions,” the federation said.
The PEC also expressed concern over what it described as a broader socio-economic crisis in South Africa characterised by unemployment, poverty, inequality, weakening public services and governance failures.
According to the federation, these conditions risk undermining confidence in democratic institutions and creating opportunities for populist and reactionary politics.
COSATU said trade unions must continue defending workers’ livelihoods and called for stronger organisation and unity within progressive movements.
Among the interventions proposed by the federation are measures to reduce the impact of fuel price increases, stabilise food prices, expand affordable public transport, protect wages against inflation, accelerate job creation programmes, strengthen social protection and improve public services.
Meanwhile South Africa’s annual inflation rate accelerated to 4.5% in May from 4% in April, pushing consumer price growth close to its highest level in almost 22 months. The inflation surge was largely driven by increases in fuel prices.
Statistics South Africa said consumer prices increased by 0.7% month-on-month in May, with transport and housing and utilities emerging as the biggest contributors to headline inflation.
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