Johannesburg - The newly registered Liberated Metalworkers Union of South Africa (Limusa) will write a letter to Cosatu on Monday requesting affiliation to the country’s largest trade union federation.
This follows the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa’s (Numsa) expulsion from Cosatu last month for a number of reasons, including allegations of it “poaching” members from other unions.
Limusa, which was formed by former Numsa leaders, believes its chances of being allowed into Cosatu are good since Numsa has been shown the door.
But even though Numsa has been expelled, there is a political process being driven by the ANC and Cosatu’s leaders that may result in its return.
While the discussions, which hope to unify Cosatu, are under way, the federation is unlikely to consider Limusa’s request because it will drive factions in Cosatu further from each other.
Also, Numsa appealed its expulsion within the required 30 days, on Friday.
Limusa met at the weekend to decide on its interim leadership to take the union forward to its first congress in May. Numsa’s former president Cedric Gina is the deputy general secretary and Sifiso Maphumulo, a former Numsa shopsteward at Toyota in KwaZulu-Natal, is president.
The other leaders, also from Numsa, are Themba Mbatha (first deputy president), Edwin Ratlapane (second deputy president), Smangenkosi Khoza (general secretary) and Sello Rapao (national treasurer).
Gina said on Sunday that Limusa believed there was no point to Cosatu holding talks with Numsa on the union’s sanction and whether it could be reinstated.
“Unfortunately from where we are sitting, these attempts are a waste of time, resources and energy… Numsa is at the advanced stages towards implementation of its special congress resolutions and has on a number of occasions pronounced its readiness to move forward with or without Cosatu,” he said.
“To those who believe that there is still hope for Numsa to come back in Cosatu: Ask if despite all that has been done to engage Numsa, is there more that can be done to change their determination to form a political party and run for an office that could give them a glimmer of hope to run the economy of the country one day?”
Limusa instead was calling on the public and metalworkers to accept that there was “no miracle” that would reverse Cosatu’s decision.
Despite wishes that the political process will be completed speedily, it has got off to a rocky start.
Eight of Cosatu’s 18 affiliates have refused to take part in discussions until Numsa is reinstated.
While the union’s first choice is to be in Cosatu, it resolved a year ago that if Cosatu was incapable of remaining united about a militant programme of action, it would form a new federation.
Numsa believes that Cosatu has become a labour desk of the ANC.
But any attempts to form a new federation will not be an easy process. Already there is some trouble in Numsa’s loose grouping of supporters.
The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa on Friday denounced a claim by the newly formed South African Public Service Union that they were in talks to form a new super union.
“Denosa is dismayed by the claim made by the former president of SA Democratic Teachers’ Union, comrade Thobile Ntola, that they had engaged Denosa on the formation of the new public service union. Denosa would like to categorically distance itself from the formation of this public sector union,” it said.
Denosa was focusing on getting Numsa reinstated and uniting Cosatu.
The Star