The National Consumer Rights Association said that workers have nothing to celebrate during this year’s May Day celebrations as they are earning well below the living wage and incomes have been wiped out by rising prices of basic commodities.
In a statement issued on May 1, the organisation said:
We are indeed saddened that workers as employees and consumers have nothing to celebrate as they are living way below the living wage and the little that they take home is being totally wiped out by the ever-rising cost of basic commodities.
We are also alive to the fact that unemployment remains unacceptably high such that millions are without income. The industry remains weak and unable to quickly absorb millions of job seekers.
Policy confusion and uncertainty still characterise Government decisions resulting in fertile conditions for destructive speculative investments and pricing.
Anti-competition pricing cartels are flourishing across sectors corruptly embedded in the supply chain.
This combination is driving the cost of living way beyond the reach of the overwhelming majority of consumers.