By Obakeng Maje
Rustenburg-The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West province will be celebrating workers’ day on 1st May 2014 at Olympia stadium, jointly with the alliance and with the support of the communities around the Bojanala platinum belt as part of preaching peace to the rest of the people of the North West, in particular in the platinum belt, Cosatu provincial secretary Solly Phetoe said.

“We are calling all workers in the North West not to allow employers again to dictate for them on whether they can celebrate their workers’ day or not. It is the workers’ right with their families to attend May Day celebration as part of their public holiday” Phetoe said.

COSATU North West will be celebrating the workers day provincial on 1st May 2014. All workers across the North West province are expected to travel from all four regions to Rustenburg Olympia stadium to celebrate the workers’ day as this will also used to mobilize workers to vote for the ANC on the 7th May 2014.

This will take place only six days before national elections.

Cosatu said as the federation in the North West they want to warn the employer, in particular the farmers and retailers who continue to refuse workers to celebrate their workers’ day.

“This time we calling all workers not to go to work on their day which is the 1st May 2014, workers’ day” Cosatu said.

Phetoe said all workers must report any employer who refuses to let them to celebrate their workers day and those who refuse to let workers participate in the coming national and provincial election on 7th May 2014.

“We are aware that farmers and retailers are already threatening workers who will be joining the masses of the people during workers’ day and voting day that if they go and participate in those activities, they must not come back to work. Some farmers are already preparing to evict workers if they go out to those activities” he outlines.

Cosatu said they are calling on those employers and their lawyers that this time they will find them right at their main gate demanding that they be prosecuted for undermining workers’ constitutional rights.

He said farmers in the North West and Sun City must know that Cosatu is ready for them, as they will be marching to Sun City before the celebration day to demand the full reinstatement of all workers who were dismissed for attending their workers’ day in 2013.

“We have been waiting for too long, following the procedure, requesting our government and the Sun International board to intervene. Till today, two years down the line, our members are still on the street with no food and no work due to exposing the racial discrimination led by the Guptas during May Day of 2013” Phetoe said.

Cosatu also warned farmers in the following areas – Ottosdal, Brits, Tigane, Vryburg, Stella, Bosdam and the chicken farm at Lichtenburg. “Must know that those days are our workers day. No trade off. We call the IEC of the North West to intervene now and make sure that all those farm workers have access to the voting stations in the in entire North West.”

Phetoe said the DoL must make sure that all workers celebrate their workers’ day unconditionally.

He also warns Retailers such as Shoprite, Choppie’s, Game, Metro and others to release all workers to celebrate their workers day and to vote on 7th May 2014.

“We are requesting the media people to help the workers explain their rights publicly” he concludes.-TDN
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