Cosatu will embark on the “mother of all stay-aways” on Wednesday when it stages marches in all nine provinces to protest against higher taxes, e-tolls and job losses among other things burdening the working class.

The demonstrations coincide with the World Day for Decent Work.

Cosatu said its members will march and demonstrate in city centres all over the country against issues such as the deadlock on its demand to scrap e-tolls.

The union federation is also calling for a better transport system and is demanding an immediate halt to pending retrenchments.Cosatu also wants Treasury to reject the proposals to increase VAT, Eskom to be held accountable for the delays in the building of the new power stations and the release of the white paper on the National Health Insurance.

The federation’s provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich said about 230 000 members of unions affiliated with Cosatu are expected to march in Cape Town.

However, the City of Cape Town said Cosatu obtained a permit for only 10 000 participants. News24