Johannesburg - The High Court in Johannesburg's ruling that the suspension of Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi is invalid was welcomed by the Food and Allied Workers' Union (Fawu) on Friday.
“The Fawu welcomes the judgment by (Deputy) Judge President (Phineas) Mojapelo... as nothing but confirmation of the need for common sense to prevail in dealing with the crisis within the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu),” Fawu general secretary Katishi Masemola said in a statement.
Mojapelo earlier set aside Vavi's suspension, ruling that Cosatu's central executive committee had the right to suspend Vavi, but that it had failed to comply with Cosatu's constitution.
Masemola said Fawu hoped Cosatu's national office bearers and the unions which had supported Vavi's suspension would not pursue further legal steps.
“Meanwhile, we will encourage comrade Zweli Vavi to report for duty as soon as his daughter has recovered and as and when he can make some few hours a day work as an elected general secretary of the federation.”
Vavi was not present in court because his daughter was in a car accident in Queenstown, in the Eastern Cape, on Thursday.
“Fawu will still take legal advice on how to launch a lawsuit to individual leaders of the federation and of supporting affiliated unions should they proceed to make an appeal and take other legally-flawed decisions yet utilising resources of Cosatu to defend such steps,” Masemola said. - Sapa