Workers Day 2026
latest news & developments
Reflections on workers’ regression, resistance and renewal
With millions of South Africans unemployed — particularly young people — employers wield enormous power. The message is clear: “If you don’t accept these conditions, there are…
Unionised workforce still ideal
We are proud of how far Cosatu has come since it was launched 40 years ago in Durban and the role it has played in ending apartheid, securing our constitutional democracy,…
White workers earn 380% more than blacks
On Workers’ Day 2026, the typical white worker still stands far above the typical black African worker in a labour market built through conquest, land theft and racial rule
A focus on one faltering building block
The country presents a clear illustration of how a weak social foundation constrains industrial development and reinforces structural inefficiencies but we can change that
Editorial: Workers’ Day 32 years on
As we commemorate Workers Day 2026, and 32 years into democracy, it is time for us to reflect on the rights of workers and confront unemployment
May Day and the disappearance of the labour beat
As the country marks another May Day, the central question is not nostalgia for an earlier media moment. It is whether democratic communication can still make workers visible in…
The leadership crisis behind joblessness
Our high unemployment rate is not incidental. It is the outcome of decisions taken, priorities set and in some cases, the absence of decisive action across institutions…
Fragmented workers, the only mourners in ANC-SACP divorce
When workers are divided by political loyalty to competing parties, they cannot effectively unite against employers during wage negotiations
Paying tribute to the working class
The road that lies ahead will not be easy. Let us walk it together with unwavering commitment to the total emancipation of the working class
Where are the unions and the ANC for suffering silicosis victims?
Recently, a proposed amendment announced by the Tshiamiso Trust — set up to disburse compensation — now threatens to shut out even more former mine-workers with the disease from…
Workers’ Day is hollow when millions lack jobs
South Africans should ask a simple question: what does it mean to celebrate workers in a country that keeps producing unemployment?
Hidden inequality in SA’s workplaces
Section 9 of the Constitution and section 6 of the Employment Equity Act (EEA) prohibit unfair discrimination on a wide range of grounds, including race, gender, religion and…