This Day in History: 25 April 1996
Political parties in parliament tabled more than 300 amendments to the constitutional legislation. The New National Party (NNP) strove for the insertion of a lockout right as a counter measure to labour's right to strike. It also called for the provision for single-language education. Subsequently, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) called for a one-day general strike on 30 April 1996 to demonstrate opposition to a lockout clause proposed by the NNP. The African National Congress (ANC) was criticised for supporting the NNP call. They were both (ANC and NNP) accused of negotiating in private.