Cosatu deputy general, Solly Phetoe, said this during Workers’ Day celebrations held in Orkney near Klerksdorp in the North West on Wednesday.

Phetoe says they are aware of employers who still do not recognise 1 May as an important day for workers. He adds that they will fight against the issues of health and safety. The workers’ celebration day was marred by the news that at least 1800 Sibanye-Stillwater mineworkers were trapped underground. Phetoe later described the news of their safe escape as a huge relief and told the SABC that workers safety is a crucial issue.

Meanwhile, the South African Federation of Trade Unions’ (SAFTU) Secretary-General, Zwelinzima Vavi, said workers are being oppressed by their employers because they are not united. Vavi argued that many workers were exploited even on Workers’ Day and weren’t given time off. He accused employers of not paying workers the minimum wage, before lashing out at the government for not addressing the plight of the workers.

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