Cosatu: time to man up has come

Maybe we have become so familiar with the unthinkable occurring within the ANCaligned trade union movement that nothing shocks us anymore. But the resignation this week of Cedric Gina as president of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has to rank as one of the most significant developments in the history of the union, and the federation. In short, Gina could no longer play happy families with the rest of his leadership who appear determined to chart their own path independent of the ANC-led tripartite alliance with the SA Communist Party.

By resigning Gina is hoping to prompt members of the union to ask serious questions about whether Irvin Jim and his allies have not gone too far without a formal mandate from them. A special congress of the union’s shop stewards will take place next month where the future direction of the union will be determined. At this stage it looks unlikely that a revolt to reinstate Gina will take place.

So what does this mean for Numsa, Cosatu, the ANC and SA politics in general?

There are some who believe that the departure of Numsa and other radical leftists from the trade union federation will result in a moderate leadership more prepared to hammer out compromises on government and economic policy with the ANC. They believe that policy interventions that have been in limbo for years, like the youth employment incentive scheme, regulation of labour broking and others, will finally be implemented without further, damaging delays.

Without a doubt government has been frustrated with Cosatu’s sniping for years. The most recent example was its successful bypassing of Nedlac to get the youth employment incentive approved by parliament, something which caused bitter unhappiness at Cosatu House. One senior government official lamented the absence of meaningful competition to Cosatu, complaining that he and his colleagues often felt like hostages when they needed to get the policy work of government done, because of the need to appease the federation.

If Cosatu splits as a result of the current conflict, the more pertinent question is what kind of animal, and how significant, the breakaway group will be. SA’s economic policy discussion is already suffering from a lack of consensus between business, government and Cosatu. The emergence of a radical, left-wing movement could further complicate matters and heighten labour strife.

Numsa has made it patently clear that it does not believe being in an alliance with the ANC has yielded any special dividend for workers. It is as unhappy with the National Development Plan (NDP) as it has been with other policy interventions meant to kick-start an anaemic economy. Does this mean a new front will be opened in an attempt to stop it in its tracks and change the political direction of the country? Will it link up with Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters?

What is needed here is a period of deep introspection by Cosatu as a whole to determine once and for all what it wants to be. Its continued belief that the task of the ANC is to carry out its ideological programme and strategy is clearly untenable and at the heart of the strife we see today.

Even if Numsa and others depart the federation, it will still have to grapple with the same question. Though it is a political ally of the ANC, in recent times the marriage has been more about electoral convenience than carrying out a common programme. As a result the economy has suffered as the ANC has dithered and stumbled along in an attempt to weave together a cohesive economic growth story.

For the ANC, too, Cosatu’s trouble should signal a moment of reflection on its relationship with its most troublesome ally. Has the alliance become more trouble than it is worth or is the ideal outcome the disappearance from political view of what it considers troublesome elements? What will it do about elements within that differ with it in future?

What we know for certain is that this strife serves no-one; it is an indication of a leadership deficit and perhaps a disturbing disconnection from reality.

For heaven’s sake, we can’t grow an economy like this.