Boksburg - If Numsa leaves Cosatu it will not be out of choice, the metalworkers' union said on Thursday.
“We (are) taking a path that could lead to us being dismissed,” National Union of Metalworkers of SA general secretary Irvin Jim told reporters in Boksburg, on the East Rand.
“If the federation decides to dismiss Numsa it won't be a Numsa decision.”
He said Numsa's decision to open its recruitment scope was not being done because the union wanted to leave the Congress of SA Trade Unions.
“That decision will be a decision the federation would take itself.”
He said the “sky won't fall” if Numsa broadened its scope.
Numsa on Wednesday said it would not turn away any workers who wanted to join the union.
“It is difficult to turn away workers who want to voluntarily join Numsa, particularly when they are likely to go to non-Cosatu unions,” Jim told the congress.
“We will no longer reject any worker.”
This went against Cosatu's one union, one industry policy.
Jim on Thursday said people had spent months trying to rubbish Numsa and the union was tired of it.
“Enough is enough, we (are) no longer going to handle propaganda,” he said.
Numsa is holding a special national congress. On Thursday delegates were in commissions discussing the problems facing Cosatu and the union's approach to next year's elections.
Resolutions would be taken and declarations read at the end of the conference on Friday.
Sapa