THE INTERNATIONAL WORKERS DAY-1 MAY 2026
BY : CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE EDITOR KASiBC_AFRiCA
The African National Congress (ANC) joins the international working class movement, the Congress of the South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the workers across the country on the occasion of May Day, which commemorates International Workers Day.
This day, steeped in workers’ struggles, instils a sense of determination towards building an inclusive economy, transforming the workplace, creating conducive working conditions, the safety of workers, equity and diversification of the workplace and a decent living wage. It remains a unifying rallying point that affirms worker solidarity across all sectors – An injury to one is an injury to all.
Under the overarching slogan of “Workers of the World Unite”, this year’s International Workers Day is celebrated amidst the emergence of a new global order, a geopolitical shift in favour of progressive internationalism, solidarity and inclusivity against global aggression, neo-imperialism and working class exploitation.
A defeat of this system is a product of the working struggles spanning many years since the founding of the international workers movement to advance the interests of the working class and to promote international solidarity.
In our context, it takes place in an environment of nation building, attempts to subvert democracy, thus undermining our sovereignty by treasonous right-wing acts of misinformation, racial polarisation, reversal of the achievements of the democratic state, systematic opposition to a labour regime that elevates the rights and interests of workers to the apex of development, decent living wage, an inclusive economy and true non-racial, non-sexist South Africa based on equality and justice.
As an organisation, we passed a number of progressive legislation from the Constitution that protects the rights of workers, the Labour Relations Act, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Today, we have advanced measures such as the Employment Equity Amendment Act and the National Minimum Wage to deepen transformation, ensure diversity, inclusivity, and protect vulnerable workers from exploitation.
We have introduced sectoral determinations of wages to protect workers from exploitation, introduced Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) to cushion workers and the employers from economic harm and invested in State Owned Entities (SOEs) to create jobs, including through initiatives such as the International Investor Conference to stimulate the economy.
As we celebrated the 32 years of democracy on the 27 April 1994, the South African flag is at full mast, flying high with pride in the international community of nations united in solidarity for a prosperous and peaceful world. This takes place in a difficult period in the life of humankind, against the brutality of the butchering of the Palestinian and Lebanese people by the murderous Israel regime abetted by its allies, and the inhumane Cuban embargo.
The ANC joins workers of the world in condemning a brutal force unleashed on civilisation and society in the name of seeking peace. It takes place against a tide of resistance to equality, the role of workers in the workplace and participation in the economy, the triple oppression of women, quid pro quo and metastasised corruption which affects service delivery, prosperity and growth to the detriment of those who sweat and labour for the prosperity of the country and decent livelihoods.
The 32-year of our democracy is a testament to the brave struggles of workers in the face of forces opposed to change. It is the workers who fought for this freedom, risking their lives to free us from bondage, poor wages, and to lift us out of poverty, injustice, and the humiliation of secondary citizenship imposed by apartheid colonialism.
When we gained our freedom in 1994, these struggles were interconnected and dialectical, aimed at transforming the workplace and fighting the monster of apartheid labour, which pushed workers to the margins of the economy, working dangerously deep underground in an extractive system that did not benefit them..
The ANC continues to strive to transform the labour regime to bridge the wide wage gap, ensure equity and workplace safety and a peaceful global order pillared on progressive internationalism, inclusive multilateralism, a better Africa and a better world. It is the wisdom and the struggles of the working class that will guide us in the socioeconomic transformation path.
In this Year of Decisive Action to Fix Local Government and Transform the Economy, we call on all progressive forces, including the labour movement, to work with communities to improve service delivery, strengthen accountability, and advance inclusive growth and job creation.
We remain committed to building a capable, ethical and developmental state, and to deepen the transformation of the economy through industrialisation, land reform, and the development of township and rural economies.
As we advance towards the 2026 Local Government Elections, the ANC calls on workers to actively participate in democratic processes, to organise, to mobilise, to register to vote ANC and to defend the gains of our democracy..
In unison we join in the slogan “The Internationale’-Unite the Human Race.”
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