Johannesburg - Unions backing the anticipated new federation say its launch will go ahead on 1 May in Tembisa as planned.
This would be preceded by a worker’s summit to be held in Boksburg on April 30th where its expected delegates representing 40 unions will come up with the name, colours and constitution of the federation.
One of the organisers, Zwelinzima Vavi told reporters in Johannesburg on Tuesday that they were aware the federation would only be fully functional in years to come due to the complexities of such a formation.
“We are under no illusions. We know that building a new independent trade union federation will require our full attention for the next few years at least. It must be remembered that it took 4 long years to establish Cosatu and therefore we are beginning to put in place the building blocks of an independent, militant, revolutionary, democratic, worker controlled, anti-imperialist and socialist oriented Trade Union Federation,” Vavi said.
He added that the new organisation would focus on exposing and fighting anti-worker legislation by putting pressure on the state to improve its policies.
They would also focus on attracting the 7.4 million unorganised workers in the formal sector by developing what they describe as genuine alternatives where government is seen to be failing, and be a “shining example of democratic worker control” which would be good news for workers.
Once more, the group of unions at the forefront of the formation emphasised their displeasure at the current economic, social and political state of the country, decrying the prioritisation of real issues such as unemployment and poverty over politics.
“While the leadership of our country spend until amounts of time and energy running from court to court and refuting decisions of the Constitutional court, in quelling dissent within their own ranks, and in building a protective wall around the Presidency, our country slides even further toward junk status, and all that the misery it holds for the rural and urban poor and the broader working class,” said Vavi.
Labour Bureau