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Celebrating Labour Month through information, education


Centurion, Pretoria, 11 May 2016

Many people are not aware of why we observe occasions such as May Day or Labour Month in South Africa. To the majority of workers, it's simply another holiday where we get to lounge around the house, binge-watch the latest series or visit friends. So in short - we see it as just another holiday.

The truth is that these occasions originate from important historical milestones in the struggle to secure workers' rights.

Fight for fair working hours

The fight for a shorter workday for the working class was a critical topic in political rhetoric dating back to the 1800s. On 7 October 1884, the Federation of Organized Trades and Labour Unions in the USA and Canada decided that a legal workday would constitute eight hours, commencing on 1 May 1886. Ever since then, May Day has been observed on the same date every year around the world.

In the local context, however, the story goes even deeper because of our country's history. The 100th anniversary of May fell on 1 May 1986. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), one of South Africa's largest labour federations and only about a year old at the time, demanded that 1 May be recognised as a public holiday called Worker's Day. The federation called for a stay-away that - in the end - was supported by over 1.5 million workers, pupils, taxi associations, shopkeepers and many others.

Struggle not over - but it is changing

The struggle to improve the living and working conditions of workers continues even today. As technology brings new innovations and practices into the workplace, we need to constantly think of their implications on the lives of ordinary workers. We've seen many instances in recent times where digital disruptions result in wholesale changes in entire industries. We've seen iTunes change how consumers listen to music, where they no longer need to go to stores to purchase physical copies of albums, and the backlash from artists around the world about it. We've also started seeing companies promise the world self-driving cars and, in the same breath, raise concerns about the future of jobs in the auto industry.

We need help navigating the labour law landscape

The ever-changing labour landscape makes it a must for companies and individuals alike to keep up with the law, especially right now during Labour Month. Sabinet Labour is a one-stop resource covering any of your legal information needs regarding labour - straight from the courts to your inbox.

Sabinet sends out a weekly newsletter with current developments in the industry, with subscribers being able to sign up to receive labour judgments and/or bargaining council agreements. The best thing about its service is that it is easily reachable online, too.

We need more companies to participate in the conversation about challenges facing the labour industry. The best way to do this is to make legal information about it more accessible. Spread the word, and enjoy the rest of your Labour Month!

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With a sound performance history of over 30 years, Sabinet has firmly established itself as a leader in facilitating access to a wide spectrum of high-quality and credible information sources. Over the course of the last three decades, Sabinet has built a strong local and international reputation for providing Africa's information to the world and the world's information to Africa.

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