Youth subsidy gets the green light

Johannesburg - The ANC and its alliance partner Cosatu were in agreement over the youth wage subsidy, the ruling party said on Monday.

"An urgent meeting was held this morning (Monday) with Cosatu on issues relating to youth incentive scheme. There will be no blood on the floor about this," party secretary-general Gwede Mantashe told journalists in Johannesburg.

The trade union federation was reported to be opposing the youth wage subsidy for fear that it would see older workers pushed out of jobs.

"There is a general agreement on this approach by the ANC and Cosatu," Mantashe said.

The scheme would target young people, young graduates and students in tertiary institutions who needed to complement formal study with practical work, he added.