Congress of SA Trade Unions president Sidumo Dlamini must resign, unions sympathetic to the country’s largest metalworkers union have said.
“We are of the firm view that the Cosatu president, as head of the federation, must resign with immediate effect because he no longer enjoys the confidence of workers in the private sector of the SA economy and the public sector,” said Moleko Phakedi on behalf of the seven unions.
“He failed dismally to lead the federation. Cosatu is at its weakest form ever in history.
“Sidumo cannot provide the leadership needed.”
He said Dlamini and some of his national office bearers had acted on behalf of their “faction” to the detriment of the unity of the federation.
The unions wanted the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) to be reinstated unconditionally.
He said the unions had also resolved not to participate in any discussion, formal or informal, until Numsa was reinstated.
Numsa, an ally of Cosatu general secretary Zwelimzima Vavi and Cosatu's biggest affiliate, was expelled from Cosatu earlier this month. Numsa had taken Cosatu to court over Vavi’s suspension for having an affair with a junior employee.
Earlier this year the suspension was overturned and Vavi returned to work.
The seven unions are the Food and Allied Workers Union, the South African Catering, Commercial and Allied Workers’ Union, the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA, the Communication Workers’ Union, the SA Football Players’ Union, the SA State and Allied Workers Union and the Public and Allied Workers’ Union of SA.
They were responding to calls made by the Cosatu central executive committee last week for the Cyril Ramaphosa-led ANC task team to intervene and find a solution to the federation’s divisions after the expulsion of Numsa three weeks ago. The seven unions broke ranks with their mother body and announced that they had suspended their affiliation to Cosatu, pending outcomes of their consultation process at grassroots level.
They were planning to seek a new mandate, which would inform their future within the federation.
Phakedi said the unions met at the Garden Court Hotel in Johannesburg on Saturday.
A decision was taken not to hold unity talks without Numsa.
Phakedi said even though they had agreed to give the task team a chance, it was done on condition that Numsa be “reinstated unconditionally”. — with additional reporting from The Times
Cosatu unity talks put on hold
“We are of the firm view that the Cosatu president, as head of the federation, must resign with immediate effect because he no longer enjoys the confidence of workers in the private sector of the SA economy and the public sector,” said Moleko Phakedi on behalf of the seven unions.
“He failed dismally to lead the federation. Cosatu is at its weakest form ever in history.
“Sidumo cannot provide the leadership needed.”
He said Dlamini and some of his national office bearers had acted on behalf of their “faction” to the detriment of the unity of the federation.
The unions wanted the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) to be reinstated unconditionally.
He said the unions had also resolved not to participate in any discussion, formal or informal, until Numsa was reinstated.
Numsa, an ally of Cosatu general secretary Zwelimzima Vavi and Cosatu's biggest affiliate, was expelled from Cosatu earlier this month. Numsa had taken Cosatu to court over Vavi’s suspension for having an affair with a junior employee.
Earlier this year the suspension was overturned and Vavi returned to work.
The seven unions are the Food and Allied Workers Union, the South African Catering, Commercial and Allied Workers’ Union, the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA, the Communication Workers’ Union, the SA Football Players’ Union, the SA State and Allied Workers Union and the Public and Allied Workers’ Union of SA.
They were responding to calls made by the Cosatu central executive committee last week for the Cyril Ramaphosa-led ANC task team to intervene and find a solution to the federation’s divisions after the expulsion of Numsa three weeks ago. The seven unions broke ranks with their mother body and announced that they had suspended their affiliation to Cosatu, pending outcomes of their consultation process at grassroots level.
They were planning to seek a new mandate, which would inform their future within the federation.
Phakedi said the unions met at the Garden Court Hotel in Johannesburg on Saturday.
A decision was taken not to hold unity talks without Numsa.
Phakedi said even though they had agreed to give the task team a chance, it was done on condition that Numsa be “reinstated unconditionally”. — with additional reporting from The Times
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