Cape Town - South Africa’s labour landscape is poised to be permanently reorganised following two watershed decisions by metal workers’ union Numsa – to not legally challenge its expulsion from Cosatu, and to press ahead with plans to launch a rival federation.
And analysts have warned that the new federation will operate in direct opposition to the ruling party.
This could become a reality as early as this year, with the National Council of Trade Unions (Nactu), the Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa), the Amalgamated Mining and Construction Union (Amcu) and other unions which were Numsa’s allies in Cosatu named as potential affiliates.
Numsa national treasurer Mphumzi Maqungo said that after intensive deliberations by the national executive committee this week, and consultations with the leadership of other Cosatu affiliates, national office bearers elected to draw a line in the sand.
“We decided that we have reached a point of no return, a stage where there is no way we can reclaim Cosatu from S’dumo Dlamini and his gang who have seized control of the workers’ federation.”
But he said while the national leadership was fully mandated to take a decision of such gravity, the union was determined “to act democratically and involve all the members at all levels and in all the nine regions in every step of the decision-making process”.
The outcome of the upcoming consultations would guide deliberations at a sitting of the Numsa national NEC next month, after which, Maqungo predicted, events would escalate.
The Numsa treasurer said the union’s structures would be fully apprised of the outcome of the recently concluded Cosatu special national congress, along with plans to press ahead with a national strike against corruption, scheduled for August 19. The union was waiting for certification from Nedlac.
The Numsa executive meeting followed a special national congress, where Numsa’s appeal against its expulsion and the suspension of Zwelinzima Vavi, the federation’s secretary general, were axed from the agenda.
That special national congress, was marred by an ugly nine-hour fight over credentials, the expulsion of the media from critical deliberations, and intense discussions about interpretations of the Cosatu constitution.
At the special congress, Dlamini laid down the gauntlet to the affiliates, by issuing an intensely emotional call to those who had aligned with his opponents. He claimed Vavi and Numsa were raising funds from imperialists in the US and Belgium to destroy Cosatu.
“You must free yourselves from Numsa and Vavi,” Dlamini declared, prompting some analysts to warn that the refusal to discuss the contentious issues could see the federation rupturing.
Labour law Professor Brian Williams believes the Numsa decision could not have been averted.
“It was predictable that Numsa would set up an alternative federation, given that their 2013 congress resolved that Numsa needed to be in a labour federation independent of political control.”
The other critical tipping point, he said, was when Cosatu’s special national congress reaffirmed the decision to exclude Numsa, which left them with no alternative.
Cosatu, meanwhile, has brushed aside the news of a rival federation in the offing, saying Numsa was no longer an affiliate, and so its activities were of no concern.
Norman Mampane, federation spokesman, said the special national congress took a resolution to build and strengthen the unity and cohesion of Cosatu, to ensure it went to “greater heights”.
He stressed that they were also fully committed to their allies.
“Cosatu will continue to participate in activities of the alliance as we are doing this weekend in Irene, because for Cosatu the class struggle is a political struggle,” Mampane said.
Weekend Argus