Cosatu to hold May Day rallies as Saftu vows to march over labour woes

Published Apr 29, 2019

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Durban - Durban will on Wednesday be a hive of labour federation’s activities when the country’s two competing federations host their May Day rallies.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) would be having its May Day at Durban’s Sugar Ray Xulu in the township of Clermont. This would be while its splinter federation, the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) will march through the streets of the city to demand better working conditions for workers, demand the end of labour brokering and the insourcing of workers.

Cosatu’s KZN provincial secretary, Edwin Mkhize, said their message for workers is that they should set aside their differences and confront the elites who are enjoying massive salaries. 

“Workers cannot afford to fight over the colour of their t-shirts or the logo on their chests when the voracious capitalist are busy feasting. We will be reckless and silly to divide the toilers,” Mkhize said. 

This is while Cosatu, on the day, would host 12 May Day rallies in the country’s nine provinces, with the Eastern Cape province hosting four separate rallies in Port Elizabeth, Mthatha, Queenstown and King Williams Town. Cosatu’s president, Zingiswa Losi said the four rallies in the province are meant to ensure that all workers are accommodated as the province is big.

Saftu’s affiliates in KZN, the Food and Allied Workers Union, said it would be joined by its sister unions to deliver a memorandum to the department of labour. The union’s head of campaigns and organising, August Mbele, said their May Day march which would be led by Saftu general-secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, would start from King Dinizulu park and conclude at the Durban City Hall.

“Ours on the day will be demanding better working conditions for workers, end to labour brokering and in-sourcing of workers so that they can get decent salaries,” Mbhele said. 

Political Bureau

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