SA marks International Workers’ Day

South Africans are joining the world in marking International Workers’ Day on Friday.

This comes as the country’s lockdown regulations is  lowered from Level-5 to Level-4. No public events have been planned due to the lockdown.

Workers’ Day, also known as May Day, originated within the historical struggles of workers and their trade unions for solidarity between working people, and in their struggles to achieve fair employment standards.

This included the need to establish a culture of human and worker rights which are enshrined in international law and the national law of the countries aligned to the International Labour Organisation, of which South Africa is a member.

In South Africa, Workers’ Day has been officially observed since 1994 as a public holiday.

☠ We salute our country’s frontline staff this #WorkersDay 🇿🇦
⚫⚪🔴⭐#OnceAlways pic.twitter.com/zmOEFZwkYn

— Orlando Pirates FC (@orlandopirates) May 1, 2020

Happy #WorkersDay pic.twitter.com/Ps1ySnstx7

— Transnet SOC Ltd (@follow_transnet) May 1, 2020

Workers Day, we salute all frontline workers in the health Department and other workers. South Africa will never be the same after Covid 19 pic.twitter.com/0jUT9eEG2W

— Bra Dukes (@LucasPh58416780) May 1, 2020

Today is the day to acknowledge and celebrate the amazing efforts of all the workers who have given their sweat and blood in building our nation. Let us honour their efforts and salute their hard work.#isecure #workersday #internationalworkersday #labour #hardwork #southafrica pic.twitter.com/grkQNVO01c

— iSecure (@iSecure4) May 1, 2020

Five million jobs

Treasury estimates approximately one-third of the resources that were productive in February 2020, are now at a standstill due to the national lockdown.

It further projects that at least five million jobs could be lost during the lockdown.

Treasury officials briefed various parliamentary finance committees on the impact of COVID-19 on the country’s economy.

 Below is a report by SABC’s Manelisi Dubase:

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