‘Rising cost of living places increased financial burden on workers’

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Some South African workers say the rising cost of living in the country has put an increased financial burden on them. As the country commemorates Workers’ Day on Wednesday, workers in the country say, there is little to celebrate.

These Johannesburg-based workers say financial stress has negatively affected all areas of their lives.

“It’s becoming the norm at every social gathering to hear about the skyrocketing petrol prices and the steady climb in food costs and it seems like every turn squeezes our wallets tighter.”

“The financial pressures has now really infiltrated all aspects of our life, it’s no longer just feeling the pinch here and there no matter how much we earn. It’s frankly never going to be enough because everything is continuously rising in price; whether it’s your fuel, it’s the cost of food, it’s the cost of electricity right to the basic needs that we cannot afford. There’s no such things as luxuries.”

“The rising cost of living severely affects my ability to save with the cost of living increasing so rapidly whether, it’s groceries food or fuel. It makes it difficult at the end of the month to have enough money, to even meet monthly expenses and budgets.”

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Meanwhile, counselling psychologist. Rakhi Beekrum says escalating financial pressure is one of the most common stresses that often leads to the depression of workers.

Beekrum told SABC News that the increased cost of housing, transportation, food, and electricity are factors that are causing stress for the South African workforce.

“Financial stress is one of the most significant stresses that I see in practice. When someone is financially stressed, it triggers a cascade of psychological and physiological responses that can impact on someone’s physical and mental health, their relationships and their productivity.”