South Africa's Unions Asking For March 20 One-Off Public Holiday

Sources: The Times of South Africa and South Africa public holidays. Earlier today, the Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) asked South African President, Thabo Mbeki, to make Thursday, March 20, 2008, a one-off public holiday, to compensate for the fact that the 2 public holidays of Human Rights Day and Good Friday will occur on the same day, March 21, in 2008.

The Governing Law of South Africa, Public Holidays Act number 36 of 1994 makes a provision of days in lieu for public holidays which fall on a Sunday, but it does not address the possibility of 2 public holidays falling on the same day (an issue which is also cropping up in Europe where Ascension Day 2008 is on May 1st, the date of another public holiday).