The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) joins the nation in commemorating Human Rights Day, honouring the sacrifices made in the struggle for equality, justice, freedom and prosperity. As we reflect on the significance of this day, we reaffirm the unwavering commitment to upholding and advancing the fundamental rights of the working people.
Human Rights Day commemorates the Sharpeville Massacre of 1960, a pivotal moment in South Africa’s history that galvanized the black majority to fight against apartheid and laid the foundation for the country’s democratic transformation. Additionally, it was the Sharpeville Massacre that led to the development of the powerful anti-apartheid international movement, which initiated important boycotts and calls for sanctions and divestments that contributed to the demise of apartheid.
This day serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of safeguarding human rights and promoting social justice for all. Our commitment to championing the rights of workers against unfair dismissals and exploitation, the marginalized communities, and vulnerable groups remains steadfast.
Our class brothers and sisters across the world are not enjoying human rights, because imperialism and racism inflict wars and conflicts from one region to another. We stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine, the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and peoples of the world who continue to face discrimination, segregation, ethnic and religious persecution, racism, oppression and imperial wars.
Though political and human rights have been guaranteed in our constitution, the liberal nature of our democracy puts a limit on how far we can enjoy them. In a capitalist economy, the basic goods and services are sold as commodities. To access these goods and services, people must have money to buy. In order to have money, they must earn by exploiting other workers or by selling their labour power. These capitalist relations condition people to have a job to have an income.
The irony is that capitalism produces unemployment structurally. Under capitalism, there can never be full employment of the potential laborers. Today, expanded unemployment is 11,6 million, and more than 6 million are in a trough of permanent unemployment. This staggering number of people are not guaranteed income monthly, and thus cannot afford the necessities of life. In other words, though they are guaranteed the right to shelter, food and dignity, cannot enjoy these rights because they do not have an income.
The enactment of austerity policies has rendered meaningless some of the rights won during apartheid. For instance, the gradual underfunding of education and health departments has undermined the rights of access to healthcare and education. The consistent defunding of the police department has compromised the right to freedom from violence, as the inability of the police to combat crime due to understaffing has festered.
Ultimately, it is the social relations of capitalism that have produced crime levels and psychological stresses that compromise the fundamental right; the right to life. It is austerity measures and the capitalist mode of production that hinder our efforts to fully achieve human rights as enshrined in our constitution and the United Nations Human Rights Charter (UNHRC).
SAFTU remains at the forefront of advocating for progressive labour policies and legislation that protect the rights and dignity of workers, whilst advancing their socio-economic interests across all sectors of the economy.
