Johannesburg - Cosatu is leaving nothing to chance by putting into motion plans to counter the imminent formation of a rival labour federation by some of its former leaders.
Speaking at the shop stewards council meeting in Durban this week, Cosatu president S'dumo Dlamini spelt out the fightback strategy to reclaim its status in the union sphere.
At the centre of the strategy is a massive recruitment drive of potential members.
A “mother of all rallies” is being planned to campaign for a long-standing resolution on several socio-economic issues in Durban on Saturday.
Coupled with this are efforts to foster unity within the ranks of Cosatu-affiliated unions.
“If Cosatu takes comfort that we had a successful national congress in December, and therefore we are on honeymoon, we do not live in South Africa. We live in a different world,” Dlamini said.
He warned about the formation of a new labour federation organised by former Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and others that could threaten Cosatu.
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The labour federation is expected to hold a workers' summit on April 30 in Boksburg and a follow-on rally in Tembisa, Ekurhuleni, the next day, which is Workers' Day.
However, Dlamini pledged Cosatu’s support to foster unity in affiliates that are embroiled in infighting and problems arising from the bruising national congress and expulsion of Vavi and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, among others.
He also called on the Cosatu unions to take a leaf from the Liberated Metalworkers Union of South Africa (Limusa), which replaced the expelled Numsa within the metal and engineering sector.
Dlamini said Limusa had embarked on old tactics in recruitment of members, which entailed taking in taxi ranks, trains and workplaces.
“I want to challenge you, comrades, let’s go back to basics. Let’s go to the trains and taxi ranks on targeted days to get new members.
“They [Limusa] take us to the old ways we used to recruit membership,” Dlamini said.
“If we don’t do that, we weaken ourselves. Let’s build our unions - because there is nothing that is available beside Cosatu,” he added.
He warned against payment of commission to members for recruitment by some unions, saying “you are killing Cosatu in that way”.
Still alive
Dlamini said Saturday's national march, organised in partnership with the SACP, should demonstrate that Cosatu was still alive.
“We understand the capacity of this province to pull the numbers to make it a national march. You did last year, so come to that march in your numbers,” Dlamini urged.
The march will campaign on long-standing Cosatu resolutions on the pension tax laws, fast-tracking of comprehensive social security and implementation of national health insurance, among others.
Vavi laughed off the planned initiatives of Cosatu, saying they were the last kicks of a dying horse in response to the formation of the new union.
“They are not Cosatu. They can name themselves as Cosatu but they know they are not Cosatu,” he said.
“The worker issues that are to be taken up in the Saturday march should be a normal programme of his former labour federation.
“It will no longer be able to take those campaigns. People who pushed those resolutions were kicked out of the federations, so as not to anger the ANC,” Vavi said.
He added that the workers' summit would decide whether the launch of the federation should go ahead on May Day.
THE STAR