Amy Musgrave
Group Labour Editor
THE ANC faces multiple and growing challenges to its power this year at the precise moment the party has been weakened by the scandals of its president.
In the latest threat, senior unionists aligned to a new labour federation have warned of a worker-led revolution that will sweep away both bosses and the ANC.
This follows hot on the heels of the EFF’s manifesto launch rally in Soweto, where leader Julius Malema laid down the gauntlet to President Jacob Zuma. Malema predicted the August 3 municipal elections would be a contest only between the ANC and his party.
While the new federation is considerably smaller than Cosatu, the ANC’s alliance partner, it looks set to start with a bigger membership base than Cosatu had at its own launch in 1985.
The driving force behind the federation is Numsa (National Union of Metalworkers of SA), the country’s largest union with about 380 000 members.
The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), one of the fastest growing unions, as well the country’s third largest federation, Nactu (National Council of Trade Unions), both indicated their intention to join.
Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim told about 3 000 workers attending a Workers’ Day rally in Tembisa, Johannesburg, that the ANC’s reluctance to adopt pro-poor and pro-worker policies meant that job creation would always take a backseat to capitalism.
“Capital will not compromise… it’s a system that works on greed. This… cannot only be resolved by prayer. It can only be resolved by revolution,” Jim said.
Deposed Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi repeated Jim’s warning that the country would see rolling mass action aimed at organising workers to take control of the economy.
“Everyone who is corrupt and was trusted by our people but betrayed them, will have to run.”