Workers Day worldwide on the 1^st May is a time to reflect, celebrate, rejoice and to make plans to ensure that workers have their rights protected in the future. In South Africa we also use Workers Day as a time to have a look at our disastrous unemployment figures.

We come from a fractured past where we saw under the nationalist government workers rights were reduced to almost nothing. 

The powerful trade union movement, despite all odds, in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s were able to organise and mobilise the workers of South Africa against the pernicious government. 

Their political duty was paramount and the effectiveness of their action was keenly felt by the draconian police force and indeed the government. 

We can celebrate those early heroes who led from the front in very dangerous circumstances. I vividly recall powerful Cosatu leaders such as Willie Madisha. He was not only loved but also respected by members of the various unions under the Cosatu umbrella. South Africa indeed owes Cosatu a debt of gratitude for those strikes, marches and demands.

With the fall of apartheid and the inception of a new government under Mandela, labour rights were enhanced and entrenched. 

The first few golden years under Mandela saw the trade union movement thrive and partake in the labour arena as equal partners with business.  The inception of dispute resolution bodies and the constitutional rights granted to workers of South Africa can be rightly celebrated for many years to come.  The business community immediately recognised the rights and, to a large degree, partook in the environment of  fairness and equality.

As time marched on the union leadership became more fractured and unfortunately many individuals within the leadership ranks moved away from workerist issues to pursue their own gains within their positions in Parliament and the Executive. 

We also saw the rise of tender entrepreneurs and people using the trade unions as a stepping stone to quick wealth and power. 

With Cadre deployment, especially favouring those within the governing party who were in partnership with Cosatu became the order of the day and we saw the slide of the trade union movements effectiveness at the workplace. 

For many years post democracy,  I’ve seen dozens of unions failing their members on a daily basis. The economy suffered enormously from state capture which in turn started to hollow out the business community as well.

I recently engaged in a discussion with Mr Vavi of SAFTU who lamented the fact that the trade union movement has forgotten about the workerist issues and to a large degree has been a master of their own demise. 

At least Mr Vavi who is the head of the second largest umbrella trade union body has recognised the need to get back to workerist issues. 

The trade unions need to understand that their mandate and their membership needs help and needs to “get back to the knitting”. 

As we celebrate Workers Day we need to also sit up and take note of the enormous unemployment in South Africa and consider ways and means of encouraging the business community to employ more people thereby giving impetus to the growth of the trade unions once again.