EWN reports that as the country observed May Day on Sunday, different labour unions advocated for better working environments for employees throughout SA.

However, some experts argued that labour unions were faced with a crisis when it came to representing their members. Andrew Levy, a well-known labour economist, said the future of labour unions did not look good unless if they were able to reinvent themselves. “If we look worldwide, unionism is not the currency of the 21st century. Unions in the last century have consistently been in decline in every country in the world. If we look at the unions in South Africa, membership has dropped significantly over the last decade along with the jobs that have gone. Unless if they are able to reinvent themselves and become more relevant,” Levy commented. He opined that unions were however still important, but in order to “regain their relevance” their focus needed to change from “revolution” to finding ways to best meet the needs of workers.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mihlali Ntsabo at EWN

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page