Cape Town - There’s no let-up in the acrimonious tit-for-tat spat between the SACP and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa).
The SACP on Thursday accused Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim of boundless opportunism sparked by “frustrated ambitions”.
Earlier this week Numsa promised legal action against the SACP and its leader, Blade Nzimande, who is also the higher eduction minister, if they did not cease peddling “lies” and “defamation”, particularly over alleged financial shenanigans.
“With his frustrated ambitions thwarted, with the royal road to leading Cosatu not opening up to him, Jim has become even more reckless. He is prepared to risk workers’ jobs in his headlong quest for personal publicity,” the SACP said in reference to a meeting last year between Jim and President Zuma to lobby for Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi to become the country’s deputy president.
Arguing Numsa mishandled the strike in the automotive retail sector, it called on members to retake their union, and to ask hard questions over how it handled its investment gains.
Cape Argus