The Congress of South African Trade Unions celebrates this 16 June 2009 Youth Day by paying tribute to the role young people played in the 2009 general elections, delivering of a massive victory for the ANC. They thoroughly dispelled the myths about youth apathy and reasserted the role they have always played since 16 June 1976 in defeating apartheid and bringing democracy.

One of the reasons for the 16 June 1976 students' revolt was the introduction of Bantu education which required African children to learn and study their subjects in Afrikaans. African learners were prohibited from being trained for certain professions and trades, in order to preserve the white supremacy and separate development ideology.

The effects of these laws continue to be felt today by children from poor and working class families and they are manifested in the limited post-matric education and employment opportunities for black children.

In the main, the majority of African children continue to receive poor education and training compared to their white counterparts. Far too many African children cannot access tertiary institutions and be trained in key skills that are needed in the economy because of financial exclusion and racial stereotypes - that for example African children are not suitable to do engineering and accounting degrees.

Furthermore, African children assume adult responsibilities early in their lives because of the scourge of HIV-AIDS and poverty. As a result, they are not able to continue their education and have to enter the labour market at an early age. 

We also celebrate this day in the midst of a recession and a sharp rise in unemployment. According to the narrow definition of unemployment, around 3, 2 million or 75% of all the 4.2 million unemployed people in South Africa are between 15 and 34 years. This level of unemployment is a recipe for social and political instability.

Even when they enter the labour markets young workers remain in the lowest positions with low wages and few or no benefits. African young workers constitute the majority of employees who are subject to abusive labour practices such as labour broking and casualisation.

All workers now face even greater problems as a result of the impact of the world economic recession. But it is the youth who could suffer most of all, as already limited opportunities disappear, as firms go bust, retrench existing workers and shut their doors to any new workers.

COSATU believes that the only way to celebrate this youth day is to build single and equal education and labour relations regimes. In this respect we should: 

• Ensure that the second generation of EPWP does really empower young workers by extending the period of employment and reasonable minimum salary is given to them.
• Retrain unemployed graduates and accelerate training and apprenticeships,
• Provide free education for learners from poor families up to the first degree or diploma and accelerate the increased provision of no-fee schools,
• Expand the public employment programme in particular social services such as home based care, crèches, school cleaning, school feeding,
• Address the crisis in the health sector by among others, reopening nursing and teaching colleges.
• Create employment in rural areas through upgrading and development of the rural infrastructure,
• Ban labour broking and casualisation to ensure that young workers are able to enter the labour market in greater numbers and enjoy decent work,
• Require all state agencies including the NYDA to develop plans to assist in the creation of jobs.

We congratulate our Comrade Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya on her appointment as Minister for Women, Youth, Children and People with Disabilities and offer our full support as she strives to improve the lives of our youth. Let us revive the heroic spirit of 1976 so that we can overcome the massive challenges to our young people!

Statement issued by COSATU national spokesperson, Patrick Craven, June 16 2009

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