Johanensburg - The SA Communist Party on Thursday said it had asked for bilateral meetings with Cosatu and the ANC to discuss unity in the trade union federation.
“The SACP welcomes in this regard Cosatu's central executive committee to embark on a process of political engagement,” second deputy general secretary Solly Mapaila told reporters in Johannesburg.
“We further reiterate our call for the re-building of principled, disciplined and maximum unity in the labour movement based on respect for democracy.”
The SACP called on Cosatu affiliates, especially the seven unions supporting the expelled National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), to work harder on building unity.
Following the expulsion of Numsa from Cosatu on November 7, seven of its affiliates announced they were suspending their participation in the central executive committee - the trade union federation's highest decision-making body.
The Cosatu CEC sat in Johannesburg on Wednesday without the seven unions. The meeting was a continuation of the November 7 one.
Earlier on Thursday, Cosatu announced the issues facing it would be put through a “political process” involving the African National Congress.
These issues included the disciplinary hearing of Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and the call by some unions for a special national congress.
Mapaila denied accusations that the SACP and ANC should be blamed for Numsa's expulsion.
“Such 'analysis' is trivial, disingenuous, misleading and factionalist, to say the least,” he said.
“It reveals itself as nothing but a regurgitation of the propaganda developed and marketing strategy to profile new political organisations which for a while now are being formed in opposition to the ANC.”
The SACP called on all metalworkers to remain in Cosatu despite Numsa's expulsion.
Sapa