It’s 1 May and a public holiday, but why?
The first day in May is known as Workers’ Day.
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/04/Labor_08898.jpg)
We welcome any public holiday with open arms, but do we as South Africans actually know what certain public holidays such as Worker’s Day stand for and are all about?
The first day in May is known as Workers’ Day.
The government describes it as follows: “Workers’ Day, also known as May Day, originated within the historical struggles of workers and their trade unions for solidarity between working people, and in their struggles to achieve fair employment standards.
“This included the need to establish a culture of human and worker rights which are enshrined in international law and the national law of the countries aligned to the International Labour Organisation, of which South Africa is a member.
“In South Africa, Workers’ Day has been officially observed since 1994. The government remains committed to ensuring the welfare and good conditions of service for workers.”
Read more about Workers’ Day here [https://www.gov.za/speeches/workers-day-2017-22-nov-2016-1053].