What is meant to be a celebration of workers has, for many across South Africa, become a moment of reflection, and frustration, as unions and labour voices use Workers’ Day to highlight the growing pressures faced by those keeping the economy afloat.
From rising living costs and job insecurity to weakening labour protections and mounting mental strain, many workers say the struggle is intensifying.
The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) says the reality facing workers is increasingly difficult to ignore.
“The reality points to a painful truth. Workers are tired,” said FEDUSA General Secretary Riefdah Ajam.
“The cost of living keeps rising, but wages are standing still. Food is expensive, transport costs are relentless, and electricity tariffs continue to climb.”
Ajam said sustained increases in living costs, alongside economic pressures, are forcing workers to stretch shrinking incomes while facing growing uncertainty in the workplace.
At the same time, concerns are mounting about the state of labour protections in practice.
South Africa’s labour framework remains among the most progressive globally, but experts say its impact is uneven.
Dr Tendai Mariri, Lecturer and industrial psychologist in the Department of Industrial Psychology at Stellenbosch University, tells the Saturday Star that while protections exist in law, access to them remains unequal.
“Workers in South Africa are legally protected, but they are not always practically protected,” he said.
He noted that workers in formal, unionised sectors are more likely to benefit, while those in informal or precarious employment often struggle to enforce their rights.
“The law provides the structure for fairness, but whether that fairness is realised depends on leadership and capacity,” he said.
Mariri warned that emerging forms of work, including informal and gig employment, remain largely outside traditional labour protections, further widening the gap between policy and lived experience.
“Workers are legally protected, but not always practically protected,” he reiterated.
Institutions such as the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration play a key role in dispute resolution, but their reach does not always extend equally across all sectors.
Beyond wages and legal protections, workers are also facing a shifting and increasingly complex work environment.
UASA spokesperson Abigail Moyo said this year’s Workers’ Day comes at a time of persistent economic and social pressure.
“Observing this Workers’ Day at a time when economic challenges remain persistent… is an eye-opener to the difficulties that workers… endure in the face of the highly unbearable cost of living and unemployment,” she said.
Moyo added that new pressures, including mental health challenges and technological changes, are compounding existing strain.
“Modern challenges such as mental health, technological advancements, and social justice within the green economy continue to increase pressure on workers’ mental health and well-being.”
“We urge employers, government, policy makers, and investors to work collaboratively towards solutions that balance workers’ rights with economic growth and stability.”
For the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), the concerns are even more urgent, pointing to what it describes as a coordinated erosion of worker protections.
The union has raised alarm over retrenchments and the growing use of contract labour across key sectors such as mining, energy, and construction.
“We condemn the growing reliance on contractors, a blatant strategy to bypass established labour rights,” the union said.
It warned that this shift is contributing to declining working conditions and dignity.
“This shift toward ‘slavery salaries’ and extreme exploitation is directly resulting in the erosion of workplace dignity and a dangerous decline in health and safety standards.”
The union also pointed to broader socio-economic pressures shaping workers’ realities
“The rising cost of living, a staggering unemployment crisis, and unchecked crime continue to place workers under severe strain,” it said.
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za
Saturday Star
