SACP Statement on International Workers’ Day
SACP South African Communist Party
South African Communist Party
Statement on International Workers’ Day
Wednesday, 1 May 2024
Today, on International Workers' Day, the South African Communist Party (SACP) proudly stands in solidarity with workers across South Africa and the world. We commemorate the 138th anniversary of the workers' struggle in Chicago, United States. On this day, in 1886, workers fought for an eight-hour working day. They faced a brutal response from the US state. Their courage and sacrifices inspired working people worldwide. Their struggle became a lasting tradition celebrated as International Workers' Day, also known as May Day.
Defending and advancing workers’ achievements
Before 1994, organised workers through non-racial trade unions played a crucial role in fighting for workers’ rights, such as the right to organise and participate in collective bargaining. This progressive movement fought against the racist and sexist job reservation system to achieve equal treatment in the workplace. The workers continued the struggle after April 1994, achieving significant milestones. These have a positive impact on workers’ rights and wellbeing.
The trade union movement has empowered workers by providing them with a collective voice and platform to express their concerns and fight for their rights. Workers have been able to challenge exploitative working conditions, push for better treatment, resist labour exploitation and refuse dangerous work.
The trade union movement played a crucial role in advocating for legislation that protects workers' rights, such as the right to organise, strike and bargain collectively. Empowering workers and protecting democratic and trade union rights has provided a platform for workers to engage in class struggle against capitalist exploitation, racial and gender oppression.
By building the trade union movement, workers have been able to challenge the dominant capitalist ideology. They have established an alternative narrative that prioritises their wellbeing and rights. By prioritising political education, workers have strengthened the working class in the struggle against capitalism. Thanks to the trade union movement, workers have fostered working-class solidarity and weakened the divisive tactics of capitalism that seek to pit workers against each other.
It is important to continue to protect these achievements to empower workers to negotiate for better wages, benefits and improved working conditions, challenging the unequal distribution of wealth and power in society.
The trade union movement has fought against discrimination based on gender, race, age, and other arbitrary grounds. Together, we have campaigned for equal pay for work of equal value, non-discriminatory employment policies and legislation, and affirmative action to ensure equal representation. Protecting and expanding these achievements is important to eliminate unfair discrimination and create a more democratic, non-racial and non-sexist work environment.
Through collective bargaining, trade unions have secured better wages, negotiated working hours and improved benefits for workers. These gains have been important in raising the living standards of workers and their families and reducing poverty and inequality. It is important to protect these achievements towards addressing the wealth gap in society.
The trade union movement has been instrumental in advancing a comprehensive social security programme for workers, including medical aid cover, retirement funds, unemployment insurance, and disability benefits, as well as maternity and paternity leaves. Workers have achieved the national minimum wage and advanced the National Health Insurance and Universal Basic Income Grant struggles in the spirit of working-class solidarity. Protecting these achievements is crucial to ensure the overall wellbeing of workers and tackle the dominance of the capitalist market in major aspects of their lives, like healthcare.
It is important to protect the trade union achievements because they have significantly improved the lives and rights of workers. The achievements have contributed to the struggle to reduce inequality, address discrimination and empower workers to have a say in their working conditions. By safeguarding these achievements, we can ensure that workers' rights and wellbeing are protected and they and their communities continue to benefit.
The achievements of the trade union movement and workers since 1994 must not be taken for granted.
There are attempts to weaken trade union rights and reverse these gains. The SACP will continue working closely with Cosatu and other unions to expose and tackle the bosses' agenda, ensuring more workers join trade unions and actively participate in their activities.
The struggle to eliminate discrimination is ongoing. The trade union movement should continue to play a vital role in protecting workers' rights and advocating for equality in the workplace.
The trade union movement has advanced the struggle for workers’ income and financial security.
However, workers’ achievements are under attack. Collective solidarity is crucial in defending the hard-won achievements and tackling the inequality inherent in the capitalist system altogether with the system itself.
The most sustainable path forward is to unite and intensify the struggle to build socialism.
Capitalist system crises
As we reflect on the significance of International Workers’ Day, it is crucial to acknowledge the profound impact of ongoing capitalist crises on workers and the poor in general. The capitalist crises are deepening, worsening working conditions, unemployment, income and wealth inequality, as well as poverty.
The capitalist class, supported by their political representatives, consistently seeks to transfer the aftermath of their system crises to the workers and the poor. They also enforce austerity measures, involving budget cuts. This affects workers, including women, and the poor in general. The bosses also cut the wage bill to protect and increase profits, forcing workers to bear the brunt of capitalist crises.
Building workers’ power
The trade union movement and the SACP have been at the forefront of the struggles for workers’ interests in both the public and private sectors. Together we have been campaigning for policies that advance the rights of the young people and women who are unemployed and are mostly the first victims of capitalist crises.
Together we remain opposed to budget cuts in development and social spending. Together we are opposed to attempts to privatise public assets, as in the case of South African Airways. We raised our voices and demonstrated against anti-trade union rights that undermine collective bargaining. Together, we campaigned against the rising cost of living, which affects workers’ incomes.
Let us unite and intensify the working-class struggle on all fronts. The SACP will strengthen its alliance and joint efforts with Cosatu to organise the unorganised, deepen worker education and build the progressive trade union movement to be more united and stronger.
Vote ANC to defend and advance workers’ achievements and struggle
The SACP calls on our people to vote for the ANC in the upcoming elections, on 29 May 2024. We say this for the following reasons, amongst others:
1) The ANC, along with the SACP and the Cosatu-led trade union movement, has actively worked hard to achieve, establish, protect, and promote democracy in South Africa. We have made significant improvements in the lives of South Africans, particularly the workers and poor, by providing essential goods and services such as housing, electricity, clean water, education, healthcare, and social grants. We have also championed a progressive constitution, which is against discrimination and upholds workers' rights.
2) The ANC is committed to addressing the problem of unemployment, especially among young people. The ANC has adopted a plan to create and sustain 2.5 million work opportunities through public employment programmes over the next five years. The ANC aims to prioritise local manufacturing, raise investment levels in various industries, support small businesses and co-operatives, and focus on intensifying skills development to build a people's economy, reduce inequality and tackle poverty.
3) The ANC has implemented policies to uplift the poor and marginalised communities. These policies include social grants, free basic services, affordable and free housing programmes, the national minimum wage and Unemployment Insurance Fund benefits. By voting for the ANC, workers will ensure the continuation and expansion of the pro-poor policies.
The ANC plans to introduce a basic income grant, which is an important step towards a universal basic income grant that the working class has been fighting for. This grant will provide income support to the unemployed and vulnerable workers.
4) The ANC has prioritised the expansion of education and skills development. It has expanded access to basic and higher education and aims to achieve universal early childhood education. Already we have reached near-universal education attendance by children aged five and six. The ANC has also planned to open new universities and colleges in the next five years and invest in education and training to equip the working class with the necessary skills for sustainable employment and collective worker ownership in the form of co-operatives.
5) The ANC has been at the forefront of the struggle for accessible healthcare for all. It has made significant progress in providing free healthcare to pregnant women, and children under five years, combatting HIV/AIDS and COVID-19, improving healthcare facilities in rural areas and townships, and increasing life expectancy. The ANC's plans include implementing the National Health Insurance as law to ensure quality healthcare for all, regardless of their income status.
6) The ANC has shown leadership in global peace efforts. We reiterate our steadfast internationalist solidarity with the people of Palestine, who know that they are not alone in their suffering, resistance and struggle. In the east, west, north, and south of this globe, peace-loving people are more united than ever in solidarity with the Palestinians. We all demand an immediate ceasefire and an end to the ongoing crimes and genocide against the Palestinian people.
We reiterate our call for an end to the criminal blockade against Cuba. We express our support for the people of Swaziland struggling for democracy and the people of Western Sahara struggling for self-determination and against occupation by Morocco.
Let us be clear. The ANC has not determined these commitments alone, just as it was not the sole force behind our victory in the decades-long battle against the apartheid regime and the progress realised by millions since April 1994. Extensive consultation within the Alliance, including with the SACP and Cosatu, considered the interests of the working class and its essential revolutionary role.
On this International Workers' Day, we urge all workers to stand strong and united. Let us defend and advance the gains of the workers' movement.
Let us go all out and vote for the ANC and continue the struggle for a socialist future!