Cosatu encourages workers to march on Workers Day on Monday

Trade Federation, Cosatu has urged workers to come out in their numbers to march on Workers Day on Monday.

The federation says marches are planned in eight provinces, with the national May Day celebration taking place at the Bethlehem showgrounds in the Free State.

International Labour Day, observed globally on the 1st of May, aims to promote the rights of workers.

Cosatu General Secretary, Solly Phetoe says there are still workers that are exploited, despite strides that have been made in fighting for workers’ rights.

“This day is important for the workers to continue advance the working class agenda in particular continue to improve the conditions of service, eight hours of working, eight hours of resting. There are still some workers, in particular, vulnerable workers who are still facing challenges of exploitation and oppression in some sectors of the economy.”

COSATU to observe May Day:

Tragic death of 51 workers in 2003 

Cosatu will commemorate Workers’ Day, along with the 20th anniversary of the tragic passing of 51 municipal workers on the 1st of May in 2003.

Northern Cape workers were on their way to the Workers’ Day rally in Qwa Qwa when their bus collided with the Sol Plaatje dam, formerly known as the Saulspoort Dam, on the outskirts of Bethlehem in the eastern Free State.

The president of the federation Zingiswa Losi will deliver the keynote address and the African National Congress president Cyril Ramaphosa will also deliver a message of support.

The Cosatu National Rally Day will be held at the Bethlehem showgrounds in the Free State. Cosatu provincial secretary, Monyatso Mahlatsi elaborates, “We will be honouring their lives and making sure that their memories remain with us. We will start at the Town Hall with the briefing of the leadership, and go to Solplaatjie Dam to unveil the nake plugs that we have put the to honour those workers. one of the key issues that we will be putting across is the issue of municipalities that are not functioning properly, therefore, affecting our members both as workers and citizens.”