Public Services International The global union federation of workers in public services

South African workers forced the government to back down on its brutal 15.5% VAT hike—a regressive tax that would’ve crushed the poor. SAFTU’s Zwelinzima Vavi called it a win forged in the streets by mass protests, exposing the austerity budget’s brutal priorities. Unions demand wealth taxes, vowing to fight until the system stops punishing workers to protect elite profits.