Cosatu, which has nearly two million members, has vowed to press on with its nationwide strike in two weeks' time in a bid, among other issues, to bring about an end to the use of labour brokers.

Addressing the national congress of the SA Clothing and Textile Workers' Union (Sactwu), Cosatu general secretary Zelinzima Vavi said the union federation will take to the streets on October 7 to step up the campaign to get rid of labour brokers, casualisation and "super-exploitation" of workers.

Vavi said government's threat to introduce a wage subsidy to incentivise employers to employ young people will mean the creation of a third category of the "super-super exploited" workers.

He said "super-exploitation and oppression" of workers remained widespread and was growing, in the country's two-tier labour market system.

"Workers covered by the collective bargaining system through workplace, sectoral and industry bargaining councils are relatively better off, with better job security, pay and working conditions and are generally protected by the labour laws," Vavi said.

He said there was a second layer on workers, in all sectors of the economy, who were not protected by the labour laws and who faced the "brutality" of employers, who "frequently and brazenly flout labour laws, sectoral determinations, bargaining agreements and health and safety laws and get away with it".