On the first of May, South Africa will enjoy Worker's Day. Worker's Day celebrates the role played by Trade Unions, the Communist Party and other labour movements in the struggle against Apartheid. According to Statistics South Africa more than 500 000 people lost their jobs between December 2019 and December 2020 when the country underwent different levels of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Stats SA said 565 000 of the 594 000 people believed to have lost their jobs during that period were full-time employees. Many of those who remained employed were earning less. As South Africa prepares to mark Workers Day tomorrow we speak to the first President of the congress of South African Trade Union (COSATU), Mike Shingange, on the past year’s highs and lows...
