Johannesburg - It is all systems go for the Congress of South African Trade Unions’ (Cosatu) elective congress next week, with nominations for leadership positions received from affiliates, the trade union federation said on Wednesday.
The national congress would be held between the 23rd and 26th of November in Johannesburg.
“I would know if I am nominated… but I would not know who else has been nominated. We do not know who has been nominated, we will only know next week at the congress,” Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini told reporters in Johannesburg.
The nominations were for the top six positions, and would be formalised at the congress plenary.
Acting general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali said 2,500 delegates from the Cosatu affiliates would attend the congress.
The congress would, among other issues, discuss disunity within the country’ biggest trade union federation, how to win over non-unionised workers and the state of the tripartite alliance, which is led by the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
“We go to this congress with the sole aim of building on the foundation of unity laid by the Special National Congress, which was unambiguous in its defence of the founding principles of the federation,” said Ntshalintshali.
“We expect open, robust and frank debates at congress, in keeping with the character of Cosatu.”
On the expelled National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), which had announced it would not appeal its expulsion at the upcoming congress, Ntshalintshali said the federation had written to both Numsa and former Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi inquiring if they were going to appeal their expulsions.
Cosatu had said it had not been formally informed by Numsa regarding its decision not to appeal.
“Neither Numsa nor Vavi has responded. We will allow the congress to decide on the matter because they [Numsa and Vavi] never officially informed the federation.”
Numsa, which was expelled last year for bringing Cosatu into disrepute, has since announced plans to form a new trade union federation. Numsa’s expulsion was the first union split from Cosatu since its formation in 1985.
Vavi, who had a successful 16-year career within Cosatu, was expelled earlier this year after he was found guilty of misconduct.
Dlamini said Cosatu membership totalled 1.9 million.
African News Agency
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