Celebrating Workers’ Day: Honouring Labour and Achievement

Workers’ Day, observed on 1st May each year, is a global celebration dedicated to honouring the contributions and rights of workers. Also known as International Workers’ Day or Labour Day, this day recognises the struggles, achievements, and dignity of labourers across all industries

Workers’ Day’s origins date back to the late 19th century. It is rooted in the labour movement’s fight for fair wages, reasonable working hours, and safe conditions. Today, it serves as a reminder of the progress made in workers’ rights while highlighting ongoing workplace challenges worldwide.

Workers’ Day in South Africa
In South Africa, Workers’ Day has been celebrated as a national public holiday on 1 May each year since 1995. The day gained prominence among African workers in 1928, when thousands participated in a mass march. In 1950, the South African Communist Party called for a strike on 1 May in protest against the Suppression of Communism Act, which banned the party. Police violence during the strike resulted in the deaths of 18 people in Soweto, marking a tragic moment in the struggle for workers’ rights.

The day is deeply tied to the historical struggles of workers and trade unions, both locally and internationally, in their fight for fair labour standards and the establishment of human and worker rights in law.

In 1986, on the 100th anniversary of the Haymarket affair, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) demanded that the government declare 1 May an official holiday and called for a nationwide work stoppage. The protest was supported by anti-apartheid groups, teachers’ associations, business chambers, and even employer organisations. Over 1.5 million workers, along with students, taxi drivers, and vendors, heeded the call, making it a powerful display of worker solidarity.

Following the end of apartheid, South Africa’s first democratic government in 1994 officially declared 1 May a public holiday, first celebrated in 1995. Today, the holiday not only honours workers but also commemorates the role of trade unions in the fight against apartheid, celebrating how worker solidarity contributed to South Africa’s freedom and democracy.

Happy Workers’ Day!