News24 reports that speaking on Wednesday in Durban, where the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) hosted its national Workers Day rally, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa thanked the labour federation for its hand in the formulation of a national minimum wage.  

"I applaud you for the victory you achieved in raising this issue of national minimum wage with the ANC.  This is your victory.  It was you who said there should be a national minimum wage.  You were doing this for many workers not only members of unions, but you felt duty bound this will benefit all workers.  Cosatu is the voice of our working people in our country," Ramaphosa told the assembled crowd.  He went on to indicate that he would do everything to ensure the minimum wage was implemented without fail and effectively “so workers move from poverty wages to decent wages as we move toward a living wage."  Among other issues, the president indicated that he wanted to improve train transportation.  "We want you to go to work with ease.  I experienced the challenge of transport recently," the president noted, referring to his experience in March when the train he was on in Pretoria was delayed by three hours.  Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi said the trade federation was "born and raised to conquer class enemies" and she affirmed her support for the ANC come the general elections on 8 May.

• Read the full original of Kaveel Singh’s report on the rally at News24

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page