Irvin Jim’s fiery attack on Cosatu

THE National Union of Metalworkers of SA, facing expulsion from Cosatu this weekend, has hit back with charges of its own against the leadership of the federation during yesterday’s special central executive committee.

Numsa was called to respond to five charges against it, but the union’s general secretary, Irvin Jim, instead turned the tables and accused Cosatu’s entire senior leadership of having violated the federation’s constitution.

In a fiery speech, Jim accused Cosatu president S’dumo Dlamini of having violated the Cosatu constitution by failing to convene a special national congress despite one-third of affiliates demanding it, as the constitution requires.

“This federation is today fighting a tendency where unions deliberately work to weaken each other through poaching, and openly destroy each other, even to an extent of having others helping opposition unions in the same sector.”

“This is, in our view, a clear agenda of destroying Cosatu. We are not going to wait for a special congress before we expose lies.

“Comrade S’dumo, you wouldn’t have to wait for a special national congress if you had carried out your constitutional duty and called it at the end of 2013 when the nine unions sent you their request.”

The meeting was still on at the time of going to press.