Johannesburg - Education was the basis for the transformation of society, Cosatu secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi said on Saturday.
"You must never stand on the fence and plead neutrality when the capitalist class is butchering the working class on a daily basis," Vavi said in a statement prepared for delivery.
He was speaking at the 20th anniversary of the South African Students Congress (Sasco) at Rhodes University, in Grahamstown.
He said the union's federation hoped the students would continue to expose the injustices of capitalist society.
These injustices were reflected by the fact that executive directors in the top 40 JSE-listed companies received huge salary increases and bonuses, while workers' modest wage demands were not met.
Vavi said the Congress of SA Trade Unions relied on Sasco to provide the country with professionals such as lawyers, accountants and economists.
Vavi also praised the students whose struggles contributed to South Africa's transition from apartheid to democracy.
The history of Sasco underlined the importance of a radical student movement that would openly tackle exploitation and identify itself with working class and the poor.