Johannesburg - Whether Cosatu will split could become clearer on Monday morning when eight affiliates opposed to the expulsion of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) make public their plans for the immediate future.
The eight – the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu); SA Catering Commercial and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu); SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu); Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa); SA State and Allied Workers Union (Sasawu); Communication Workers Union (CWU); SA Football Players Union (Safpu); and Public and Allied Workers Union of SA (Pawusa) – held a closed meeting with Numsa on Saturday to try to map out a way forward.
Numsa deputy general secretary Karl Cloete confirmed the meeting took place, saying the unions had expressed ”solidarity, support and their desire to defend Numsa”.
Speculation of a split gained some momentum last week, when the eight unions and Numsa held a press conference before Friday’s central executive committee meeting to publicly oppose the expulsion of the metalworkers union.
The nine had also agreed to work together in taking Cosatu to court to compel it to hold a special national congress aimed at addressing the rifts that have split the federation down the middle.
The unions are also expected to expand on their fears that Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi could be next in line for the boot from Numsa’s opponents.
On Sunday, Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim said he did not believe the ANC, SACP and Cosatu’s highest leadership would spare Vavi after they had succeeded in Numsa’s removal.
“We are clear that he is next on the list. In our minds, if they don’t expel him it will only be because they don’t want to prove Numsa right… We are convinced that they are going to dismiss him,” he said.
“They don’t want that man in the federation. If they don’t, they will give him a sanction to keep him quiet in the federation… They will (for example) refuse to allow him to implement any resolution from the 11th national congress (of Cosatu in 2012) of revolutionary programmes which the federation has taken.”
Cloete said Vavi’s presence in Cosatu was untenable.
“I think it must be untenable for him to stay in (Cosatu)… It must be very hard for him… waking up to go to an office that is a slaughterhouse. There are divisions between them (the national office-bearers),” Cloete said.
Jim said forming a new federation remained an option for Numsa and others who could no longer remain in Cosatu.
Union president Andrew Chirwa said members would be doing some soul-searching in the coming weeks about whether it was worth fighting to remain in Cosatu, or if the federation was still relevant.
He bemoaned the fact that 33 “gang members” dismissed the 350 000 members the union represents, which he said also had implications for the rest of the federation’s members should the expulsion lead to a split.
“Cosatu has been hijacked by a gang which is supposed to be responsible for workers… Workers must (say) whether this Cosatu is still relevant like it was in 1983 (when it was launched),” Chirwa said.
Jim said Numsa members would continue to participate in Cosatu structures, challenging anyone to kick out the union’s shop stewards from meetings if they dared.
“We maintain: these people (members of the CEC) have no mandate. We firmly believe that in all these shop stewards councils workers are firmly behind Numsa remaining in the federation,” Jim said.
“It is lawlessness that governs Cosatu. Its own president (S’dumo Dlamini) should have been booted out instead of Numsa,” Cloete said.
In the coming weeks, Numsa plans to host local and provincial shop steward councils that it will open to any Cosatu-affiliated members or “to anybody who ever benefited from the federation”.
It will also hold a special central committee meeting before the end of the year to determine whether or not it will appeal its expulsion or suspension, which it had not by late on Sunday been told of in writing.
Cosatu has extraordinarily remained mum on the expulsion and has released no official confirmation.
Spokesman Patrick Craven said a statement could be issued later on Monday.
Political Bureau