The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is deeply dismayed by the Democratic Alliance (DA)'s shocking threats to have the Employment Equity Act declared unconstitutional.

Anyone with the most cursory of legal knowledge would appreciate the DA's tone-deaf theatrics have zero chance of succeeding as the constitutional obligation upon the state and employers to address discrimination in our workplaces is clear. It is nonetheless deeply offensive to the overwhelming majority of African, Coloured and Indian South Africans who experienced the most savage forms of racism during the dark days of apartheid, and who still all too often hit the glass ceiling at work when being denied promotions or equal pay for equal work because of the colour of their skin.

Whilst the DA may pretend that apartheid is a distant memory of the past, its lingering presence is crystal clear to any sober person who has seen the Commission for Employment Equity's many reports highlighting that over 60% of senior management posts in the private sector are held by White South Africans, the overwhelming majority of whom are male.

Failing to address our status as the most inequal society in the world, where race, gender and disability all too often dictate one's career path and earning potential; is a ticking time bomb. The crises that erupted in Zimbabwe are a dire reminder of the consequences of failing to address society's fault lines.

Whilst COSATU is confident that the Employment Equity Act will pass any constitutional court challenge, we are nonetheless irritated by the DA's unhealthy infatuation with seeking to roll back workers' hard-won rights. One had hoped that their experiences in government would help dissuade them for pursuing such unwarranted attacks on workers.