Ousted and sidelined members of the SA Municipal Workers Union who are aligned to Numsa and Zwelinzima Vavi have launched a rival union in Gauteng, with a national launch planned for later in the year.
The formation of the Democratic Municipal and Allied Workers Union of SA (Demawusa), comes after Samwu was racked by corruption and in-fighting, leading to the expulsion and dismissal of at least 100 union leaders.
The former Samwu leaders involved in the Gauteng launch this week are among those who blew the whistle on the alleged corruption and the disappearance, yet to be explained, of R136 million from union coffers.
A financial consultant in Joburg is to stand trial in connection with the funds’ disappearance. Samwu’s general secretary has been question by the Hawks.
Mohau Mokgatla, expelled as Samwu’s Gauteng secretary, said Demawusa had formed a task team to prepare for the national launch.
The team included a number of heavy hitters who were expelled from the municipal workers union, the country’s biggest.
This followed an imbizo - which Samwu tried to stop from taking place by seeking an interdict - that was held on May 5 on whether the group should join another union or found one.
“We decided to start a new union from scratch because it takes time for (other unions) to go to the Department of Labour to extend their scopes,” Mokgatla told Independent Media.
“We wanted to start a new union with a new ethos and new values.
“The challenge in joining an existing union is it already has its own culture, history and practices and it would be quite difficult to change that.
“Members said they needed a new union and independence from any political party and alliance to a political party.”
This political stance closely follows the resolutions taken at Numsa’s watershed 2013 special national congress to break ties with the ANC and establish a United Front to marry shop floor and social struggles.
“Largely, members want a union not aligned to any party. Cosatu unions are involved with the ANC,” Mokgatla explained.
Although the union has not yet registered with the Labour Department, it has contacted the department to ensure it can use the name it has chosen.
It plans to launch provincial structures, adopt its constitution and launch nationally before going back to the department again.
Among the heavy hitters on the national task team are expelled North West Samwu secretary Jacob Modimoeng, expelled Free State Samwu shop steward Godfrey Molehe, expelled Mpumalanga provincial chairman Zakhele Khumalo and expelled Samwu international officer Stephen Faulkner.
“We felt there was no alternative union in the local government sector which people could associate themselves with,” Mokgatla said.
He said members of Samwu had also found fault with the union’s leadership over their “failure” to service members adequately.
“On April 11, we wanted to call an imbizo which Samwu interdicted - the purpose was to gather a mandate from members. There was an outcry over issues like bargaining. For example, no input has been given in this current round of bargaining,” he said.
“Also, there is a huge failure in articulating general issues that relate to members at the workplace.
“For example in 2010 we went on a very long strike and it was said the president signed a wrong document, mistakenly - but there has not been a full explanation.
“And the issue of the wage gap, payment progression - members felt Samwu had not been taking this issue further.
“In municipalities you don’t progress in pay, except for inflation rate (increases).
“Members felt (angry) about this amount of money missing and about officials giving themselves huge bonuses without taking (members) issues forward.”
Samwu general secretary Walter Theledi said that he had only heard rumours about the new union.
“I’m just hearing rumours. I haven’t seen the forms, I haven’t seen anything to say there’s anything,” he said.
He denied the union was providing bad service to members.
“We don’t know about bad service to members.
This is the first time that I hear that… The dispute we have declared (in local government wage talks) is about pay progression.”
Sunday Independent