Thousands of workers affiliated to Cosatu painted the Mbombela city red as they demonstrated their demand for job creation and the end of corruption.
Cosatu this week Wednesday celebrated the 1 May holiday – known as Workers Day or International May Day – with the Mpumalanga Cosatu choosing to celebrate the day by submitting a memorandum to Premier Refilwe Mtshweni.
The trade union federation was joined by the SACP and highlighted the issue of corruption in the province and the rise in unemployment, one Cosatu member told the local media.
The R40 road in front of the Riverside shopping mall was blocked off while the march continued down to the provincial legislature building.
They are also concerned that there are still other employers who continue to treat the May Day holiday as a normal working day and “it is supposed to be a non-working day except for those [working] in essential services”.
While there are other issues raised in the memorandum but the main two are corruption and joblessness.
Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the unity of the ANC, SACP, Cosatu and SANCO is important moving forward and should remain so in the war to fight corruption, grow the economy and create jobs.
“Only a united ANC, Cosatu and Sanco can lead and give people what they demand. Your presence here shows the strength of Cosatu,” he said while addressing the main event at the Sugar Xulu stadium in KZN.
(edited by MLM)
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