Johannesburg - Cosatu’s top brass remains adamant that two of its affiliates are not leaving to join a new labour federation.
The federation’s deputy general secretary Solly Phetoe said, even though there were some national office bearers within the Food and Allied Workers’ Union (Fawu) and the SA Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu) who wanted to leave, most of their members did not support this view.
Both unions were said to be interested in joining the new federation to be launched, by the latest, next year. It is spearheaded by the country’s largest union, Numsa, and axed Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.
Phetoe was addressing over 700 delegates at the National Union of Mineworkers central committee meeting in Pretoria on Friday.
“The national office bearers of Cosatu have met with those two affiliates and they have confirmed they are not leaving, even though there are certain individuals of their national officer bearers who want to leave, but members have confirmed they are going nowhere,” said Phetoe, followed by loud cheers from the audience.
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Phetoe was at pains to explain that Cosatu was working on ensuring unity amongst its affiliates.
“Since the national congress, national office bearers of Cosatu have been working tirelessly to ensure that we implement the programme of union cohesion. All affiliates, besides two are back in the central executive committee of Cosatu,” said Phetoe.
Leaders of the SA Football Players Union, which is also affiliated to Cosatu, want to join the new federation.
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