Workers’ Day in South Africa: A celebration amid crisis?

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Workers’ Day is celebrated each year on 1 May. The commemoration honours the historical battles for unity and equitable working conditions waged by workers and their trade unions.

However, for many South Africans, the day feels more like a meaningless gesture than a genuine celebration. With unemployment rates soaring and underemployment rampant. Additionally, with workers’ strikes becoming a regular occurrence, it’s hard to find much to celebrate.

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) indicates that nearly one in three South Africans is unemployed. Consequently, they struggle to make ends meet and support their families.

High unemployment rate

According to Stats SA’s latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (fourth quarter of 2024) :

The unemployment rate stands at a staggering 32.9%.
The numbers are even more dire for the youth, 44.6% of young people are unemployed.
Unemployment increased from 31.1% in the third quarter, to 32.9% in the forth quarter of 2024.
Youth unemployment decreased from 45.5% in the third quarter, to 44.6% in the forth quarter of 2024.

But even for those who are lucky enough to have jobs, the reality is often far from ideal.

Underemployment

Underemployment is a significant issue. Many workers are forced to take on part-time or contract work that lacks job security, benefits, and decent pay.

Stats SA further reports that time-related underemployment remains a concern, recorded at 4.6% in the fourth quarter of 2024.

In the same quarter, about 788 000 South Africans who were employed had difficulty finding enough hours of work.

‘Time-related underemployment’ refers to any employed person wanting to work more hours. Additionally, those whose weekly working hours across all jobs were less than 35 hours, and who were willing to work more hours if given the chance.

Underemployment often goes hand-in-hand with underpayment, leaving many South Africans struggling to make ends meet as they’re forced to accept low-paying, unstable jobs.

As underpayment persists, worker unions are increasingly fighting for workers’ rights. As a result, unions often resort to strikes to secure fair compensation and better working conditions for their members.

Strikes

Public sector workers have taken to the streets from education to healthcare to demand job creation, better pay and working conditions. The private sector isn’t immune, with labour disputes and strikes becoming increasingly common.

In a media briefing on 10 April 2025, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi reflected on numerous strikes and protests held countrywide, calling for a greater focus on job creation in the health sector.

The message is clear: people demand jobs. Additionally, workers are fed up with being treated as mere commodities, rather than human beings deserving of dignity and respect.

So, what exactly are we celebrating?

Is it the fact that workers are expected to work long hours, often in hazardous conditions, without adequate compensation or protection? Is it the fact that workers’ rights are constantly being ignored?

As we commemorate Workers’ Day, let’s not pretend everything is fine. Let’s acknowledge the struggles, hardships, and injustices that workers face every day.

Let’s demand better from our leaders and fight for a future where workers are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

Only then can Workers’ Day truly be a celebration, rather than a reminder of the struggles ahead.