2007年VOA标准英语-Strike by S. African Public Workers Poised to S

By Scott Bobb
Johannesburg
07 June 2007

In South Africa, more than 1 million workers in the private sector¹ have been told to prepare to strike next week Wednesday in sympathy with striking public servants. The call by the powerful COSATU confederation would extend the work stoppage to important sectors² of the economy such as mining and manufacturing. VOA's Scott Bobb reports from Johannesburg.

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South African civil servants protest outside Tygerberg hospital during the first day of a national public service strike in Cape Town, South Africa, 1 June 2007

The secretary general of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, Zwelazima Vavi, said COSATU was calling its private sector members to strike next Wednesday. He said it was to show support for several hundred thousand teachers, health and government workers in the public sector whose work stoppage is affecting all workers.

"The children of the workers are unable to go to school and the workers are being inconvenienced in all other public institutions," he said.  "And therefore, it is in the best interests of the health of the workers in the private sector to get a solution to this. They want to play a role."

COSATU says it has 1.8 million members.  It groups 21 unions, including the public servant unions currently on strike and powerful unions in the important mining and manufacturing sectors.

However, some of some COSATU members in essential services such as law enforcement are forbidden by law from striking.

Unions representing public servants went on strike last Friday demanding a 12 percent wage increase. They have rejected the government's offer of a 6.5 percent increase.

The unions say they will expand the strike to the entire public service beginning Friday, when the two sides are to hold another round of negotiations⁴.

The strike has shut many public schools and crippled operations at public hospitals and government offices around the country.  Members of the military have been called in to help in some hospitals.

Some incidents of intimidation⁵ have been reported but the strike for the most part has been orderly.

COSATU is a political ally of the governing African National Congress but it has criticized the South African government for ignoring the needs of workers and the poor in favor of business.

1 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

2 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。