Workers' Day in Lesotho

A public holiday fixed on 1 May

Lesotho’s Public Holidays Act lists Workers’ Day on the first day of May and makes the days in its schedule public holidays within the country. The Act also allows the King, acting on the advice of the Home Affairs minister, to appoint additional public holidays by notice in the Gazette.[1]

The Act names May 1 as the holiday date but does not state a substitute-day rule for when it falls on a weekend. The Act treats scheduled and specially appointed public holidays as non-business days for laws concerning bills of exchange and promissory notes.[1]

Meaning and public observance

A Government of Lesotho account describes International Workers’ Day as an annual May 1 observance recognizing trade unions and other labour movements. That account ties the day’s purpose to workers’ rights and the contribution workers make to Lesotho’s economic development.[3]

The account documents a particular commemoration in Maseru attended by affiliates of the Lesotho Labour Council. Participants discussed workers’ challenges and a way forward; union representatives also spoke about remembering colleagues who had fought for workers’ rights.[3]

What employees are entitled to

The Labour Code says every employee is entitled to a paid day off on a public holiday. If an employee works that day, the Code provides for double the normal daily wage, or, by agreement with the employer, normal pay plus another paid day off in lieu.[2]

The Code separately says that work on a public holiday must be paid at double the ordinary day rate, while preserving any higher rate set by a collective agreement. These provisions make the holiday relevant to workers who are scheduled to work as well as those who take the day off.[2]

Practical planning

The legal sources establish the public-holiday status and workplace entitlements, but do not give opening hours for banks, shops, public offices, schools, tourist sites or transport services. The government account concerns a labour commemoration and does not set out service schedules. Residents and visitors should check directly with the office, business or transport provider they plan to use.[1][2][3]