The relevance of Workers’ Day in South Africa becomes lost when lowly paid farmworkers are still transported on the back of an open truck.
The importance of this day becomes meaningless when some employers refuse to pay their workers the minimum wage.
The day has no value to the millions of workers who see no improvement in their working conditions, especially with laws addressing such that are not enforced.
Many workers, in particular those on the farms, will tell you of how much May 1 would mean to them if only their employers were held responsible for some of the atrocities we have often reported on in our news pages.
This editorial deliberately highlights the issues in the agricultural sector because some employers continue violating the basic human rights of their employees, with little to no action. We have reported on deaths of farmworkers who are being transported under inhumane conditions.
A drive to some of the famous wineries will reveal why farmworkers are still among the most marginalised employees in the country.
It would come as no surprise that some of them were required to work with no extra pay while the rest of the country observed Workers’ Day on Wednesday. With elections due in just a few weeks, we hope there will be no instances where farmworkers are prevented from voting, as has been the case in the past.
So long as Wednesday’s speeches are not followed by action, Workers’ Day will remain just another public holiday. Whereas its significance should be seen in how the state has worked hard to pass laws that help improve the working conditions of workers.
The Federation of Unions of South Africa aptly captures the essence of this when saying: “We have dissected our nation’s enduring commitment to workers’ rights, a foundation laid by persistent struggles against inequality and injustice. We have also observed the contrast which lies in the continued abuse of workers and non-compliance with labour regulations despite our laws being among the most progressive globally.”
The workers of this country will have the power to change the status quo on May 29. They must seize this opportunity.
Cape Times