Johnathan Paoli
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have pledged solidarity with the contributions, sacrifices and struggles of the workers of South Africa and said an EFF-led government would create millions of decent jobs between 2024 and 2029.
In a statement released on Wednesday, national spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys said Workers’ Day held a profound significance for the country’s history, and is rooted in the struggles of workers for fair labour practices, better working conditions, and social justice.
“It is a day to remember the sacrifices of those who came before us and to recommit ourselves to the ongoing struggle for economic freedom and dignity in the workplace,” Mathys said.
Mathys said for generations, Black workers endured deplorable working conditions, low wages and a lack of basic rights and protections, in the country’s history of the systematic exploitation and oppression of Black labour.
“From the brutal exploitation of miners in the depths of the earth to the demeaning work of domestic workers and factory workers, Black labour has been the backbone of South Africa’s economy, yet it has been systematically devalued and marginalised,” Mathys said.
In addition, she said the day was important in relation to the Marikana Massacre of 2012, which marked a turning point for the nation’s history and the genesis of the EFF movement.
The tragic event in which 34 mine workers were brutally gunned down by police during a strike at the Lonmin Platinum Mine in Marikana, North-West exposed the harsh realities faced by workers in the country where exploitation, violence and disregard for human rights continue to be rampant, she said.
“As the country commemorated Workers’ Day, the sad state of workers could not be ignored.
“Despite the end of apartheid, millions of workers continue to toil in exploitative and precarious conditions, with little to no protection from labour laws or basic rights. The scourge of unemployment, poverty wages, and unsafe working conditions plague our nation, perpetuating cycles of inequality and despair”.
Mathys said the EFF was committed to changing this reality and that the recent revelations of exploitation within the private security sector served as a stark reminder of the pervasive corruption and exploitation in the sector.
This follows the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA)’s report which indicated that over 3262 companies and municipalities accumulated an outstanding R 6 billion debt to the Private Security Sector Provident Fund, and the withholding of pension funds, provident funds and health benefits from the workforce.
“As the EFF we have stood with private security guards in this matter as this blatant disregard for the law and the constitutional rights of workers cannot be tolerated, and we are in the process of holding the Private Security
“Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) accountable for permitting such exploitation to persist unchecked,” she said.
Furthermore, the party reiterated its call for the decriminalisation of sex work for both workers and their clients in the recognition of it as a valid form of labour and said that it remained essential to “remove sex work fro the shadows” which would enable law enforcement of the dangers surrounding the sector as well as access to medical care.
The current criminal framework perpetuates stigma and discrimination against sex workers and makes them vulnerable to violence and exploitation, said the EFF.
“Decriminalisation not only removes the criminal taint from sex work but also facilitates regulation of the industry, aiding in the identification and prevention of human trafficking,” Mathys said.
She also highlighted the EFF’s elections manifesto and said the party remained dedicated to the creation of decent work and economic opportunities and prioritises the needs of workers, including the implementation of a living wage, protection of workers’ rights and the creation of sustainable employment opportunities.
“The EFF remains the only shield for workers in South Africa and the most dependable force that will fight for workers interests,” the party said.
Party president and CIC Julius Malema will address communities within Tshwane, while deputy-president Floyd Shivambu is expected to address a rally in Nelson Mandela Bay.
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