2007年VOA标准英语-Education, Health Hardest Hit in South African

By Delia Robertson
Johannesburg
01 June 2007

Across South Africa schools were closed and many hospitals turned away all but emergency cases as public servants observed the first day of a strike. VOA's Delia Robertson reports from our bureau in Johannesburg, unions say they will strike until their demands for higher pay are met.

Strikers take part in a civil servants' protest march in downtown Johannesburg , 01 June 2007

Tens of thousands of workers gathered in major centers to mark the first day of the strike. Unions say there has been widespread support for the action. Patrick Craven, spokesperson of the Congress of South African Trade Unions said most of the 700,000 workers they called out observed the strike.

"The response of the public sector¹ workers has been absolutely magnificent all over the country," he said. "As reports come in its clear that the vast majority of workers called on to strike did indeed do so."

For its part the government says that support has been patchy. Speaking on national radio, Public Services Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi said many public servants reported for duty.

"When we look at the functioning of government today, it has functioned largely as normal," she said. "We have regrettably seen large stayaways in the education sector and there have been pockets of disruption in the health sector."

Even though health professionals are classed as essential workers who may not strike, patients in many hospital wards² across South Africa received only cursory³ care Friday. While most nurses reported for duty, they joined pickets⁴ outside the hospitals leaving only skeleton staff to care for patients.

In some hospitals, casualty departments treated only the gravest cases and pharmacies⁵ did not dispense⁶ medicine. In Cape⁷ Town police used stun⁸ grenades to disperse⁹ workers who had blocked the entrance to the city's largest hospital.

In some prisons, warders embarked¹⁰ on work-to-rule action. Police officials say all officers reported for duty.

Most public schools across the country were closed; although in some cases, teachers continued teaching learners in their final year of high school. Activities in many courts were also disrupted as staff downed tools.

The strike follows a deadlock¹¹ in pay negotiations¹², with the unions demanding a 12 percent increase, and the government offering a package that includes a six percent wage hike.

Although both sides seem to be distant from each other, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel last month suggested the government may be willing to increase its offer, but not above nine percent.

Some independent labor¹³ analysts¹⁴ say that there is merit in the union's rejection¹⁵ of the government offer. They argue that it would be fair for government to offer between 6.5 and 8 percent. They add that unions might settle for a package that included such an offer.

This week technical teams drafted a fresh negotiating document, currently under consideration by both sides and which may form the basis of a new round of talks expected early as next week.

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 wards   

区( ward的名词复数 )； 病房； 受监护的未成年者； 被人照顾或控制的状态

参考例句：

• This hospital has 20 medical [surgical] wards. 这所医院有 20 个内科[外科]病房。
• It was a big constituency divided into three wards. 这是一个大选区，下设三个分区。

3 cursory   

adj.粗略的；草率的；匆促的

参考例句：

• He signed with only a cursory glance at the report.他只草草看了一眼报告就签了名。
• The only industry mentioned is agriculture and it is discussed in a cursory sentence.实业方面只谈到农业,而且只是匆匆带了一句。

4 pickets   

罢工纠察员( picket的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Five pickets were arrested by police. 五名纠察队员被警方逮捕。
• We could hear the chanting of the pickets. 我们可以听到罢工纠察员有节奏的喊叫声。

5 pharmacies   

药店

参考例句：

• Still, 32 percent of the pharmacies filled the prescriptions. 但仍然有32%的药剂师配发了这两张药方。 来自互联网
• Chinese herbal pharmacies, and traditional massage therapists in the Vancouver telephone book. 中药店，和传统的按摩师在温哥华的电话簿里。 来自互联网

6 dispense   

vt.分配，分发；配(药)，发(药)；实施

参考例句：

• Let us dispense the food.咱们来分发这食物。
• The charity has been given a large sum of money to dispense as it sees fit.这个慈善机构获得一大笔钱，可自行适当分配。

7 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。

8 stun   

vt.打昏，使昏迷，使震惊，使惊叹

参考例句：

• When they told me she had gone missing I was totally stunned.他们告诉我她不见了时，我当时完全惊呆了。
• Sam stood his ground and got a blow that stunned him.萨姆站在原地，被一下打昏了。

9 disperse   

vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散

参考例句：

• The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.那些牛甩动着尾巴驱赶苍蝇。
• The children disperse for the holidays.孩子们放假了。

10 embarked   

乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• We stood on the pier and watched as they embarked. 我们站在突码头上目送他们登船。
• She embarked on a discourse about the town's origins. 她开始讲本市的起源。

11 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

12 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。

13 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

14 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

15 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。