Labour federation Cosatu will launch its own youth league called Cosatu Young Workers at its national congress next year, but insists it won’t resemble the ANC Youth League.
“Structures would be launched in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal this month,” interim general secretary Azania Matiwane told City Press at the weekend.
“Then we’ll launch in the Northern Cape, North West and Mpumalanga.”
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) move to start a youth wing marked an about-turn from its 2015 plan to “ensure young workers join the Young Communist League”, said Matiwane.
The Cosatu Young Workers would not be a “league” like the ANC Youth League.
“There are already too many leagues,” Matiwane told the newspaper.
The youth organisation would target unemployed youth who participated in Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas) learnerships to become members, he said.
Matiwane described Setas as “exploitation” because of their low stipends.
The youth wing would have a cut-off age of 40. — Sapa