Pretoria-Government remains committed to ensure the welfare and good condition of service for workers, says President Jacob Zuma.
To achieve this, government has put in place progressive labour legislation and key programmes in line with the Constitution.
South Africa’s labour laws prevent, among others, discrimination, including workplace discrimination. Other workers’ rights include the rights to fair labour practice, to form and join unions, to strike and picket.
“We have strong labour laws which protect the employees from exploitation to an extent that some decry these "stiff labour laws”.
President Zuma was speaking in Moretele Park in Memelodi where he joined workers and their families in observing internationally Workers' Day.
The event was organised by trade union Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) under the theme “celebrating 30 years of defending workers' rights and jobs.”
“The day is celebrating workers’ rights and to look back at strides we've made in transforming workplace,” Zuma told the cheering crowds who braved the cold Gauteng weather for the event.
Workers' Day, also known as May Day, originated within the historical struggles of workers and their trade unions for solidarity between working people, and in their struggles to achieve fair employment standards.
This included the need to establish a culture of human and worker rights which are enshrined in international law and the national law of the countries aligned to the International Labour Organisation, of which South Africa is a member.
In South Africa, Workers' Day has been officially observed since 1994.
Despite progress in introducing workers’ rights, the president said the exploitation of workers will continue in certain work place.
“Therefore workers organisation is very important. The struggle continues, it is not over,” he said noting challenging conditions for workers in the country. Workers he said must break the chains by understanding their powers.
“The struggle of the workers is known throughout the world. But the question we should ask is do the workers understand the powers of their strengths? If they do not, it’s difficult to wage the struggle.”
Turning on the upcoming Local Government Elections to be held in August, President Zuma encouraged workers to go out and mark their votes saying the polls will see “communities renew their mandates to local leaders.”
He said government will be putting in place measurers to ensure that councillors are approachable and accessible to communities.
“Councilors will sign performance agreements, they must also report back to communities regularly… this will give the power back to the people and ensure that local government works better.”-SAnews.gov.za
