Workers demand more, better ...

Hundreds of workers braved wet weather on Thursday 1 May to attend the 2025 Workers’ Day rally organised by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) at the Castle of Good Hope in the city.

- NAMHLA MONAKALI

The event, held on the theme “Defend collective bargaining, oppose austerity, fight unemployment”, served as both a commemoration of past labour victories and a call to action for fairer economic policies in the face of ongoing hardship.

Delivering the keynote address, Cosatu secretary-general Solly Phetoe urged workers to oppose austerity measures and fight for a more inclusive and worker-centred economy.

“The working class continues to bear the brunt of budget cuts and slow wage growth while the cost of living increases,” he said. “We must not accept a future of shrinking rights and shrinking jobs.”

Phetoe condemned public-sector cutbacks and warned that austerity threatens service delivery, jobs and economic recovery. He also reaffirmed Cosatu’s support for collective bargaining and the protection of public sector employment.