News24 | OPINION | Wednesday’s Cosatu protest: A guide for employers

A scene from Cosatu’s nationwide strike in October 2024.

Siyabonga Sokhela/Gallo Images via Getty Images

Cosatu will once again mark World Day for Decent Work with nationwide protest action on 7 October 2026. The marches and pickets fall under Section 77 of the Labour Relations Act, which provides legal protection for those involved in protest action over socioeconomic issues, writes Jan Truter of Labourwise.

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Cosatu will once again mark World Day for Decent Work with nationwide protest action on 7 October 2026.

The trade union federation has notified Nedlac of its intention to embark on “marches and pickets to highlight the plight of workers”.

The reasons provided for the protest action cover a wide range of issues, but have been framed as follows:

“This year’s World Day for Decent Work takes place at a time when workers are under siege from rampant retrenchments, non-compliance with the national minimum wage, increasing casualisation of jobs, escalating attacks on collective bargaining rights, and lack of social protection and retirement funds.”

The protest action is scheduled to run from 09:00 to 16:30 on Wednesday in major cities and towns across South Africa.

Legal framework

The protest action falls under Section 77 of the Labour Relations Act, which provides legal protection for participants involved in protest action over socioeconomic issues.

Employers should take note of the following:

• Legal protection: Employees participating in the action protest, or engaging in conduct in anticipation or support of it, are protected by law.
• Disciplinary action: No disciplinary measures should be taken against employees who are absent due to participation in protest action, except those in essential or maintenance services. There is the potential for abuse, which can be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
• No work, no pay: Employers are entitled to apply the “no work, no pay” principle for employees who do not report for duty.

While participation in the past few years has been limited, it remains to be seen whether the upcoming local government elections will result in broader participation.

Jan Truter is founder and managing director of Labourwise.

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