Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin, 4 June 2026
Norman Mampane
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Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin
‘Whoever sides with the revolutionary people in deed as well as in word is a revolutionary in the full sense’-Maoo
Our side of the story
4 June 2026
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- National Youth Development Agency rolls out 100,000 paid National Youth Service opportunities
- South Africa
- COSATU applauds support given to South Africa's efforts to achieve employment equity by the ILO
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- Syria: Union calls for mother-tongue education as a cornerstone of inclusive and democratic societies
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics #ClassWar
National Youth Development Agency rolls out 100,000 paid National Youth Service opportunities
02 Jun 2026
The NYDA National Youth Service (NYS), a South African government program under the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI), cordially invites members of the media to a media briefing on the launch of Phase V of the National Youth Service (NYS) Programme, which will unlock 100,000 paid service opportunities for unemployed young people across all nine provinces of South Africa.
The briefing will provide details on the national rollout of the programme, application processes, provincial implementation, inclusion priorities, and the upcoming National NYS Roadshows, which aim to connect opportunities directly to communities.
The National Youth Service Programme provides young people with meaningful opportunities through community service, work exposure, skills development, civic participation, and pathways into sustainable livelihoods. Through this programme, youth contribute meaningfully to their communities while gaining practical experience, strengthening social cohesion, and advancing nation-building.
Key focus areas of the media briefing will include the launch of Phase V of the National Youth Service Programme; the creation of 100,000 paid service opportunities for unemployed youth; the application and registration process through SA Youth; the inclusion of vulnerable youth groups and youth with disabilities; the National NYS Roadshows across all nine provinces; and the pathways to employment, entrepreneurship, education, and training beyond the service opportunities.
Members of the media are warmly invited to attend and cover this important event.
Event details:
Date:
Thursday, 4 June 2026
Time: 11:00 AM
Venue: NYDA Head Office, 7 Naivasha Sunninghill
Media representatives wishing to attend must RSVP to Nomsa Mbata, Senior Manager Communications, at Nomsa...@nyda.gov.zaor Camagwini Sixishe, Specialist: Media Liaison in the Office of the Executive Chairperson at Camagwin...@nyda.gov.za.
Enquiries:
MediaEn...@NYDA.gov.za
Issued by National Youth Development Agency
South Africa #ClassSolidarity
COSATU applauds support given to South Africa's efforts to achieve employment equity by the ILO
Matthew Parks, COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator, 04 June 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) applauds the strong support given to South Africa’s efforts to achieve employment equity by the International Labour Organisation’s Committee for the Application of Standards (CAS).
We are dismayed that our colleagues in Organised Business sought to refer South Africa’s employment equity targets to the ILO. We welcome the clear vote of confidence by the ILO’s CAS that such matters must first be exhausted by parties at home and that given South Africa’s still prevalent high levels of inequality skewed by race, gender and disability; make employment targets and other supporting measures a necessity.
It is bewildering that Organised Business chose to rush to the ILO whilst the employment equity targets are currently before South African courts. Business as well as Solidarity, who has brought a similar ill-considered case to the ILO in opposition to employment equity and will be considered at a later date, should exercise some patience and allow the courts time and space to hear their grievances. Equally when the courts have ruled, to accept their verdicts, including when they do not find in their favour which has frequently been the case.
Key to unlocking economic growth is to ensure that all South Africans, black and white, women and men, and persons with disabilities; are afforded equal opportunities to find employment and to enjoy a meaningful career path.
We will never be able to overcome three and a half centuries of institutional discrimination and disempowerment, if we do not act to remove barriers to creating a non-racial society.
The reality is that many sectors of the economy and professions, till today, remain off limits to workers simply because they are black, women or have a disability. The fact that 60% of management positions in the private sector are held by white males who constitute 4% of society should alarm Organised Business.
Social media hysteria claiming that employment equity excludes whites from employment is simply false and should be dismissed as such.
South Africa will not reach its full potential unless these obstacles to equality, including at the workplace, are tackled. It is essential that Organised Business and Solidarity embrace this necessary and sober call.
Issued by COSATU
International-Solidarity
Syria: Union calls for mother-tongue education as a cornerstone of inclusive and democratic societies
Democracy Solidarity in emergencies, 1 June 2026
On the occasion of Kurdish Language Day, the Union of Teachers in North and East Syria (UTNES), an affiliate of Education International (EI), has renewed its call for the official recognition of the Kurdish language in Syria, stressing that mother-tongue education is a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of inclusive and democratic societies.
Across North and East Syria, UTNES organised a series of educational, cultural, and public events, including marches, seminars, lectures, and community discussions. These brought together teachers, students, academics, and civil society representatives to highlight the importance of the Kurdish language as an essential part of cultural identity and social cohesion.
Participants emphasised that access to education in one’s mother tongue is essential for quality education and meaningful participation in society. They underlined that respecting linguistic diversity is key to building a democratic, inclusive, and pluralistic Syria.
“Education in the mother tongue is a fundamental right recognised by international human rights standards,” UTNES representatives stressed. “Without it, equality, inclusion, and quality education cannot be fully realised.”
Advancing linguistic rights and democratic education
UTNES reiterated the urgent need for the Kurdish language to be officially recognised within Syria’s education system and public institutions, and called for its explicit inclusion in the country’s future constitution. The union highlighted that safeguarding linguistic and cultural rights is fundamental to ensuring justice, equality, and peaceful coexistence among Syria’s diverse communities. According to educators involved in the initiative, meaningful democratic transformation in Syria must include recognition of all languages and identities.
"Our language is our right"
The union also paid tribute to the efforts of teachers and education workers who have worked for years to develop and sustain Kurdish-language education, often in the face of marginalisation and systemic exclusion. Their commitment, UTNES noted, reflects the vital role of educators in defending both the right to education and cultural rights, even in challenging contexts.
International solidarity for mother-tongue education
Education International supports its affiliate’s call and reiterates that governments have an obligation to guarantee the right to learn in one’s mother tongue. This is essential not only for improving learning outcomes but also for fostering mutual respect, social cohesion, and democratic participation.
UTNES has called on the international community, global education unions, and education stakeholders to stand in solidarity with teachers and communities in Syria and to support efforts to protect and promote mother-tongue education rights.
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Norman Mampane (Shopsteward Editor)
Congress of South African Trade Unions
110 Jorissen Cnr Simmonds Street, Braamfontein, 2017
P.O.Box 1019, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa
Tel: +27 11 339-4911 Direct line: 010 219-1348