President Cyril Ramaphosa has used his keynote Workers Day message, to reaffirm the government’s commitment to ensure that the rights of the workers remain protected.
He delivered a message of support during the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) National Workers Day Rally, which was held in Middleburg, Mpumalanga.
Ramaphosa also acknowledged COSATU’s pursuit of better working conditions for all workers in the country.
“Since its formation, COSATU continues to be a powerful federation and a true representative of workers of this country.
So, on this day comrades, we pay tribute to the leaders and members of COSATU who sacrificed so much for the achievement of democracy and the advancement of the rights of workers,” said Ramaphosa.
He also called on the alliance members, SACP and SANCO to unite and forge ahead with efforts to improve the working conditions of workers.
Ramaphosa believes that unity amongst COSATU’s affiliates will yield the desired results.
The ANC president sought to guarantee that the Government of National Unity (GNU) will not regress on progressive policies aimed at improving the lives of workers, despite pressure from some GNU partners.
Furthermore, COSATU’s President Zingiswa Losi bemoaned what she described as “crumbs” which workers are getting from a democracy they fought hard for.
She expressed their demands for real transformation to Ramaphosa and implored him to ensure that the state serves the working class and not just the few elites.
This year’s workers’ day comes as the country’s minimum wage sits at R28,79 per hour, a rate which even Ramaphosa admitted is low.
