Johannebsurg - Corruption, obsession with money and crass materialism are the reasons behind infighting and factionalism in many unions and federations as leaders scrummage to get on the gravy train. Multibillion-rand union investment funds are the centre of the emergence of this trend, leading union voices say.
Union leaders have been drawn into a new culture which is best described as “business unionism”.
The first president of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and a founder member of Cosatu, James Motlatsi, says the emergence of union investment companies was originally to address the development needs of the broad membership of unions.
“In 1986, we formed the Mineworkers Development (Agency). It was to say as an organisation we are not only looking after our members when they are working. We will also be able to look after our members even after they have been expelled, retrenched,” said Motlatsi.
The development and maturation of these funds and companies has unintentionally created an impression that leading a well- resourced organisation would translate to personal riches and power, making union leadership contestation the driving force in union politics at the expense of real worker issues. The SACP broached the subject in its discussion papers at a recent special national congress, describing business unionism as a danger to worker solidarity. The party credits recent “turmoil” in Cosatu to the scramble for control of resources in competing factions.
Many unions, mainly the biggest and wealthiest, are embroiled in embarrassing scandals involving the looting of union coffers.
The SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) has been in turmoil since its leaders were arrested and later released for allegedly stealing R8.2 million from a union trust fund.
Former Satawu president Ezrom Mabyana was sentenced to 10 years in prison for buying a house worth R3.6m and pocketing another R1.8m from the workers’ trust fund.
General secretary Zenzo Mahlangu faced charges over the missing R8.2m and Satawu is still battling an ongoing cash crunch.
The Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union is beset with chaos as an investment worth R4bn nears maturity. The union has failed to convene a constitutionally-obligated congress for two years and a faction within it has accused the leaders of clinging to power to get their hands on the monies.
The business unionism trend, Motlatsi argued, was not solely reliant on access to money, but also fuelled by the emergence of a new breed of self-seeking unionist.
“When I am being elected instead of putting those who elected me first, I start to look at opportunities which will benefit me… instead of using my influence correctly, my influence now will be derailed by opportunities, gains that are coming directly to me,” Motlatsi said.
Another former leader of the NUM, Frans Baleni said the union movement was bedevilled by its own achievements. “It’s money and material interests which are associated with leadership positions. On the one hand you have the investment company and other materials which come in different forms.
“There are service providers, provident fund and medical-aid administrators (and) how they bribe shop stewards and union leaders. The material interests “result in them not being) independent,” Baleni said.
But the current strife in unions is not new, and warnings about the nefarious influence of money are decades old.
These are the sentiments of politician and former unionist, Mbhazima Shilowa, who was also part of the September commission tasked with investigating the future of Cosatu and its affiliated unions in the 1990s.
He said they warned the federation at the time that leaders of unions should stay clear of trusts and investment arms.
“With investment companies, to an extent unions participate in it, which is something that happens internationally as well.
“It is important to ensure office bearers are themselves never involved in this.”
The Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa), which has some of the oldest unions in the country as affiliates, has refrained from setting up megafunds.
General secretary Dennis George said they realised from the onset that the money would conflict them and derail their objectives.
In the main, however, the trend is deemed by Motlatsi, Baleni and George as a reflection of society’s general moral decay and, as such, trade unions could not be left untouched.
Labour Bureau