JOHANNESBURG – The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) says South Africa’s black working class continues to sing struggle songs because it’s still fighting for justice and inequality in the workplace.
On Thursday, the Constitutional Court ordered that nine workers dismissed by manufacturing firm Duncan met in April 2013 be reinstated.
The group was fired for singing the song during an unprotected strike which loosely translates to “My mother rejoices when I hurt a Boer.
Numsa’s Irvin Jim says the working class will continue singing struggle songs until the country’s workplace is transformed.
“It says a lot about the long road that we must still travel this country to democratize the workplace to deal with issues of transformation.”
Jim says the nine employees are expected back at work as early as Friday.
“They will be very happy. They will hear this and they must go back to work as soon as possible.”
While the Constitutional Court agrees that the song sang by the employees was inappropriate, it says the word “boer” is neither racist nor racially offensive.
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