South African trade unions protest on May Day, warn of 'jobs bloodbath'
Thousands of union members marched through Johannesburg on Friday to mark May Day, calling on the South African government to intervene against rising unemployment and what they described as an attack on workers’ rights.
The march, led by the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU), drew protesters who chanted and danced under heavy security while carrying banners calling for unity between employed and unemployed workers.
SAFTU National Spokesperson Newton Masuku said the mobilisation was held under the theme: “Unite the employed and the unemployed, fight the jobs bloodbath, fight austerity, and fight illicit trading.”
“This is a call that we are making to the government, that it must intervene against this unemployment,” Masuku told Viory.
He said although the union had submitted formal memorandums, the march was also aimed at strengthening internal mobilisation among workers.
“The petitioning of the government is merely a formality,” Masuku said. “But in actual fact, it provides us with an opportunity to speak to our membership and therefore to disseminate our ideas on how we think the economy should be sorted out.”
Masuku added that the May Day activities were intended to raise awareness among union members about what he called the “misery of the system.”
Protesters also raised concerns about recent amendments to labour laws, which they said were weakening protections originally designed to safeguard workers.
“We decided to celebrate May Day since last year when we were fighting against the amendments of the labour laws, which is a direct attack on workers,” one protester said.
The protester added that while unions were becoming weaker, capital was becoming more organised.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
