The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) will stage nationwide marches on Wednesday to mark International Day for Decent Work.
The trade union federation says workers continue to face mass retrenchments, non-compliance with the national minimum wage and increasing casualisation of employment.
Cosatu spokesperson Zanele Sabela says the marches will also target companies facing criticism over planned job cuts and the treatment of workers.
Among the companies being targeted is Sun International, where Cosatu plans to protest against proposed staff reductions at physical casinos.
Sabela says the planned retrenchments are concerning given South Africa’s high unemployment rate.
“There are mass retrenchments despite the fact that unemployment is quite high at 43.8%,” she says.
She says workers will also march to Sun International over its plans to reduce staffing levels at its physical casinos, despite the sector recording growth.
“The physical casinos have shown growth and delivered revenue of R3.4 billion in the six months to the end of June,” says Sabela.
Cosatu is also calling for the reinstatement of hundreds of Massmart workers who were dismissed in 2021 after participating in what the federation says was a legal and protected strike.
“The workers at Massmart that were dismissed in 2021 when they were taking part in a legal and protected strike, we want them to be reinstated,” Sabela says.
The federation says the nationwide action is aimed at highlighting challenges facing workers and putting pressure on employers and government to address issues affecting decent employment.
Cosatu says the marches will form part of its broader campaign to defend workers’ rights, secure stable employment and ensure compliance with labour laws.