Johannesburg - Seven Cosatu affiliates will not co-operate in the federation’s most senior structures in protest at the expulsion of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA over the weekend.
The seven unions and Numsa claim to represent almost half of Cosatu’s 2.2 million members.
“We have been sidelined in Cosatu - and we cannot allow it to go on forever,” said a national official of the Food and Allied Workers Union.
“We are fighting for the soul of Cosatu. It won't be ideal to start a new federation. But Cosatu’s leaders have changed direction of the federation.”
Sapa has named the unions as:
Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu)
SA Commercial Clothing and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu)
Communications Workers Union (CWU)
SA State and Allied Workers Union (Sasawu)
Public and Allied Workers Union of SA (Pawusa)
Democratic Nurses Organisation of SA (Denosa)
SA Football Players Union (Safpu).
A second Fawu official said: “Cosatu as it is, is paralysed. So the question of a new federation is not far-fetched. Each affiliate will discuss their view on this.”
The unions told reporters they will meet their attorneys later on Monday to finalise a court bid to hold a special national congress to elect new leaders in the federation.
Numsa was expelled by a special meeting of Cosatu's central executive committee early on Saturday morning. Its most serious charge was allegedly poaching members from sister unions.
Political Bureau