Unions vow to be vocal at the Cosatu congress

THE Cosatu special national congress in two weeks’ time promises to be a chaotic spectacle after eight rebel unions announced their plans to redirect the agenda of the meeting.

The unions, which are aligned to metalworkers union Numsa and former general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, warned that if they failed to do so, the congress would be hijacked by Cosatu leaders.

“We shall attend and participate in the congress, but will do so under a strong protest at this attempt to deny the membership their right to have robust debates on the serious and unprecedented challenges facing the federation,” said the unions.

But they will face stiff opposition in the congress as the agenda had already been finalised, and it excludes the discussion of any of their priority issues.

According to a congress notice issued by Cosatu last month, the congress will only discuss unity and cohesion in Cosatu and the federation’s leadership.

Apart from the reinstatement of Numsa and Vavi to the fold, they wanted the federation to discuss even more issues which are considered concluded by the Cosatu central executive committee.

“We will insist that the Congress delegates be allowed to deliberate on the acceptance of a shelf-union, Limusa, without following the prescriptions of the constitution to replace Numsa, and the violation of the constitution in allowing Zingiswa Losi to retain the position as the second deputy president.”

The group including the Communication Workers Union, Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA, Food and Allied Workers Union, the Public and Allied Workers Union of SA and the SA Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union, had gone as far as the high court to force Cosatu to host the special congress, and vowed to make true on their promise to workers that they would, through it, reclaim the federation.

“The current leadership is now trying to manipulate the Congress in a way which will accelerate an implosion or precipitate such a split (in Cosatu). They claim to be promoting unity, but are in fact doing the very opposite and risk turning the congress into a farce and a basis for implosion.”

Independent Media was also informed by unionists within the group that while they would fight tooth and nail to have their issues heard by delegates in the congress, they weren’t going there without back-up. They said there were parallel plans to establish a federation which would compete with Cosatu for members.

They sounded even more alarm bells when they dismissed any possibility of the alliance summit which ended yesterday, resolving deep-seated divisions within Cosatu and the ANC-led alliance as a whole.

One of the reasons behind Numsa’s expulsion from the federation was its decision to cut all ties with the alliance. The other affiliates said they had also lost faith in the alliance, saying they had not attended the summit because of that reason.

But Independent Media understands some unionists belonging to the faction had attended the gathering which discussed, among other issues, unity in the alliance and the furore over Nkandla.