President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address thousands of workers during a May Day rally in Durban on Wednesday. 

This as the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) prepares to host a number of May Day rallies across the country. 

Ramaphosa will address workers at Cosatu's main celebration, expected to begin at the Sugar Ray Xulu stadium in Clermont at around 10am. 

The main event comes amid brewing tensions within the eThekwini municipality. 

Thousands of municipal workers downed tools on Tuesday and embarked on protest action in the city's CBD. 

Disgruntled workers demanded answers from mayor Zandile Gumede after allegations surfaced that at least 50 Umkhonto weSizwe military veterans were unfairly promoted.

Employees of the department of water and sanitation initially downed tools last week after they got wind of the allegations.

TimesLIVE previously reported that certain MK veterans were promoted from a grade 4 level salary to a grade 10.

According to reports, the ANC will be represented by Ramaphosa at the May Day event while the South African Communist Party (SACP) will send its general secretary, Blade Nzimande. Cosatu will send Zingiswa Losi, its president, to the main event.

This will be Ramaphosa's second visit to the province within a week. 

He cut short an international visit last week to meet with the families of those who had lost loved ones in devastating floods which swept across the province leaving 70 people dead.