The leadership of the Federation of South African Trade Unions (Fedusa) has written to President Cyril Ramaphosa, requesting an additional paid audience in December 2022.
The call comes after Fedusa’s control drew the attention of Fedusa control that Christmas Day will fall on a Sunday this year: South African staff will only enjoy 11 of the 12 paid holidays.
Section 2(1) of the Public Holidays Act 1994 states that “when a public falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is public”.
However, the Monday following December 25, 2022 is already a holiday (goodwill day), meaning staff have 12 holidays this year because two days would fall on the same day.
In 2016, when Christmas Day also fell on a Sunday, Cosatu pushed for more to be done in December. Following this request, then-President Jacob Zuma declared a public settlement on 27 December 2016.
Seven years later, the unions are waiting for the result.
“Fedusa remains committed to making sure that South Africans who run do not face a new injustice in the security of their source of income, already eroded by Covid-19, and will therefore have to be able to take full credit for their 12 paid holidays,” the organization said in a statement.
Fedusa added that this gesture would go a long way toward boosting workers’ morale, given the difficulties they faced in 2022. He said signaling another public holiday would also help boost economic activity during the holiday season.
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