The country’s single biggest trade union‚ the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa)‚ has filed an application for a strike against corruption‚ it announced on Sunday. The application for the strike will be heard on Monday by the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC).Numsa served a notice on NEDLAC earlier this month in terms of Section 77 of the Labour Relations Act (LRA) indicating the union’s intention to embark on protest action against corruption.The protest action will involve marches‚ rallies‚ pickets‚ lunch-hour demonstrations‚ strikes and stay-aways from work if no satisfactory resolution is found after NEDLAC has considered the matter‚ the union said.“Corruption in the private and public sector is pervasive in South Africa. It is a growing cancer that undermines existing jobs and robs working class and ordinary people their socio-economic needs‚” said Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim.“Resources that go down the corruption tube could be used to deliver basic socio-economic services‚ the provision of adequate housing‚ basic education‚ healthcare services‚ water‚ social welfare and basic nutrition for children. There is just looting all over the place despite the extensive anti-corruption architecture and laws that exist.”Of more concern to Numsa‚ was the flagrant violation by state-owned enterprises (SoEs) and other state organs of the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (PPPFA) and its regulations that required that state departments in all spheres of government should procure locally-manufactured goods and services when they tender.“In the last few years we have seen parastatals involved in large scale importation of products‚ leading to widespread devastation of local industries. The economic and political elite uses the parastatals not to industrialise the country but to parasitically accumulate for themselves‚” Jim said.“Numsa is also irked by what the union sees as creeping corruption denialism where despite the existence of evidence on corrupt practices‚ there is inaction‚ lack of political accountability and a closing of rank amongst the elites. The epitome of corruption denialism is the tragic issue of Nkandla‚” Jim added...