Union leaders face eviction from offices
COSATU-aligned union members who were sympathetic towards Zwelinzima Vavi before he was removed from his post as the federation’s general secretary, are on the verge of being evicted from their offices in the Eastern Cape.
Besides their stance on Vavi, Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers’ Union (Ceppwawu) leaders from the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, North West and Johannesburg opposed the expulsion of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) from Cosatu.
The union’s Eastern Cape leaders last month pleaded with Cosatu general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali and SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande for assistance in paying the region’s rent for its East London and Port Elizabeth offices, and telephone and electricity bills.
The four regions have been at loggerheads with Ceppwawu general secretary Simon Mofokeng and his faction over a decision on whether the union should agree to have an administrator appointed by the Department of Labour.
This follows allegations of financial irregularities in managing membership subscription fees.
In a letter to Ntshalintshali, the group requested that their internal battles be resolved by Cosatu’s central executive committee because “the national office bearers of Cosatu have for the past six years been unable to arrest the situation”.
Ceppwawu’s Eastern Cape regional chairman Sam Xaba confirmed yesterday that the union was facing eviction because head office had failed to pay rent and a monthly allocation of R34 000 for activities and operations.
“This has big implications as these regions do not have working telephones, faxes and cannot sit for meetings,” Xaba said.
“The union is on the verge of bankruptcy because of litigation as a result of the suspension and dismissal of those supporting us.”
Xaba said payments stopped after February, and claimed payments in January and February were processed only to enable regions to organise elections for shop stewards.
“The four regions disagreed with having the election of shop stewards, arguing that it should be preceded by the national elective congress.”
He confirmed union leaders in the Eastern Cape were sympathetic to Vavi and Numsa.
Attempts to contact Mofokeng and Cosatu national spokesman Sizwe Pamla were unsuccessful, but SACP national spokesman Alex Mashilo said the letter had been received, and Cosatu was dealing with the matter.