The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in the Western Cape will lead a mass march to Parliament and the City of Cape Town on Friday, 19 June 2026, calling for urgent action to address the growing cost-of-living crisis affecting workers and poor communities.

The march will begin at Hanover Street at 10:00, where COSATU members, community organisations and supporters are expected to gather before handing over memorandums outlining their demands.

COSATU Western Cape Provincial Secretary Malvern de Bruyn says rising prices of food, electricity, water, fuel and transport, coupled with stagnant wages, are placing immense pressure on working-class households.

“Workers and communities across South Africa, and particularly in the Western Cape, are facing a deepening cost-of-living crisis. Households have been forced into a debt spiral as the prices of basic goods and services continue to rise while wages fail to keep pace with worsening economic conditions. Research indicates that consumers are taking home approximately 47% less in real terms than they did a decade ago, while the costs of essential services such as electricity, water, food and transport have increased dramatically. Working-class families are being squeezed from all sides and are struggling to meet their daily needs.”

Among the federation’s demands are lower electricity and water tariffs, reduced fuel and food prices, increases in social grants, stronger enforcement of the National Minimum Wage, and the introduction of a Universal Basic Income Grant.

“The time has come for workers and communities to unite and demand decisive action to address the cost-of-living crisis. Together, we can build a society where all people can live with dignity and social security.”

COSATU has called on workers and communities across the province to join the protected march, saying collective action is needed to push for economic relief and social justice.