South Africa celebrates internationl Labour Day

The South Africa government praised workers for their contribution to the development of the economy in observing the International Labor Day on Wednesday. South African workers gathered in different parts of the country, commemorating the day, which has been celebrated on May 1 in South Africa since the country's independence in 1994. The day has been declared a national holiday, during which workers gather in different places to reflect on their struggles for fair working conditions and other rights. In a statement issued on Wednesday, government acting spokesperson Phumla Williams called on workers to take their rightful place in developing an economically viable South Africa. The government encouraged employers to respect the rights of workers. "The freedom of rights as citizens and rights as workers in South Africa should be celebrated, as our history has made them inseparable," said the statement. "South African workers, trade unions and other progressive movements fought so that we all can benefit from a free society which together with government is continually changing the lives of our people for the better," Williams said. The country's economy has expanded by 83 percent in the past 19 years, the spokesman declared. The government prided itself on coming up with laws that protect workers from being exposed to dangerous and fatal working conditions. The statement urged workers to support different initiatives aimed at reducing poverty, inequality and unemployment. Williams said, "As we commemorate the Workers' Day, we all should strive to address challenges in the employment sector that we are facing by implementing and embracing the vision of the National Development Plan (NDP) among other key government policies." The NDP is the government's socio-economic development document through which it aims at eliminating poverty and reducing the gap between the rich and the poor by 2030. The government spokesperson said the vision of the NDP will only be achieved by increasing productivity, creating descent jobs and improving the salaries of workers.