Cosatu expresses deep concern over high youth unemployment in SA

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) says it’s deeply concerned about high unemployment among the youth in the country.

Cosatu’s North West secretary Kopano Konopi says urgent solutions are needed to address unemployment.

“In the North West, we are facing the challenge of unemployment. We know that the North West province is one of the provinces that remain labour-sending areas and very few areas of the North West are being industrialised. We will be calling for a review of the economic policy in the North West province so that we can look at the maximization of industrialisation in the North West. So that we can be able to create jobs in particular for young people. We know that the unemployment of the youth is highest in this province and this country.”

Labour brokers

Meanwhile, a worker from Klerksdorp says labour brokers are continuing to exploit workers in the country.

Tefo Mokgoko, who was employed in the retail sector through labour brokers for eleven years, says he’s still on a temporary contract.

Mokgoko says the authorities are not doing enough to protect vulnerable workers.

“I feel that I am not free, like other residents who are not free, because I am still a slave. Why I am saying this is because I feel that the government and the labour department, they’ve actually allowed these labour brokers and their clients to exercise their culture of slavery.” -Reporting by Thabang Morutloa