Cosatu aims to get to bottom of affiliates’ problems

THE Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) is to consider expanding the ability of the federation’s leadership to intervene in the activities of embattled affiliates. The discussion would take place at the federation’s national congress, scheduled for next month, Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini said on Friday.

The federation resolved at a two-day special central executive committee meeting last week to establish a task team to probe affiliate divisions. Cosatu also needs to find means to allow leadership to intervene in disputes, while still respecting affiliate autonomy.

Both the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) and the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) experienced splinter unions last month. Satawu’s splinter union is the second to be formed in the past three years. These include a possible implosion of the Chemical Energy Paper Printing Wood and Allied Workers Union. Also, Samwu is facing deep divisions — pre-dating ideological divisions in the federation — related to allegations of millions of rand missing from union coffers.

Samwu on Friday held its own briefing on central executive committee meetings conducted earlier in the week. The start of the Tuesday meeting saw rifle-wielding police with arrest warrants looking for three Samwu officials. Police have sought to question the three in relation to an ongoing case.

Samwu said it would undergo a forensic audit to assure members of the integrity of union finances and “ensure that we have closure on the union finances”.

The union also said it continued to maintain that the use of the police was political, and linked to former disgruntled members. Some Save Our Samwu ( SOS) members — who maintain they were expelled for calling for a forensic audit — subsequently went on to establish a splinter union, the Democratic Municipal and Allied Workers Union of SA (Demawusa) last month.

Demawusa said Samwu was now in a “state of terminal decline” and that Samwu leaders were now looting member subscription fees.

Demawusa general secretary Mohau Mokgatla said that while former corrupt activities of some Samwu leaders were finally catching up to them, it was too late for the municipal union.