COSATU-aligned union members sympathetic to the federation’s former general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi are on the verge of being evicted from their offices in the Eastern Cape.
Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers’ Union (Ceppwawu) leaders from the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, North West and Wits also opposed the expulsion of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) from Cosatu.
The union has seven regions across the country.
However, the union’s Eastern Cape region has run up debt for unpaid rent, telephone and electricity bills for the East London and Port Elizabeth offices.
Local leaders last month pleaded with Cosatu general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali and SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande to intervene.
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 following allegations of financial irregularities in managing membership subscription fees.
In a letter to Ntshalintshali, the group requested that their internal battles be resolved by the central executive committee of Cosatu because “the national office bearers of Cosatu have for the past six years been unable to to arrest the situation”.
Ceppwawu’s Eastern Cape regional chairman Sam Xaba confirmed yesterday they were facing eviction as head office had failed to pay rent and a monthly allocation of R34000 for “activities and operations”.
He said the problems started last year when “certain” national office bearers did not follow union processes.
Xaba said payments were made for January and February but nothing since then.
He claimed those payments were only processed to enable regions to organise elections for shop stewards.
The 2014 congress was also under dispute amid allegations that it was not properly constituted and its resolutions were therefore not binding.
Xaba said the cause of the divisions in the union were mainly disagreements about a decision over whether to have an administrator running the union.
Xaba said Cosatu had failed to resolve their ructions.
SACP national spokesman Alex Mashilo confirmed the party had received the letter, but that the matter had been taken over by Cosatu as the ruling federation.
Attempts to get comment yesterday from Mofokeng or Cosatu national spokesman Sizwe Pamla were unsuccessful. — msindisif@dispatch.co.za
Union members in EC face risk of being evicted
Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers’ Union (Ceppwawu) leaders from the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, North West and Wits also opposed the expulsion of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) from Cosatu.
The union has seven regions across the country.
However, the union’s Eastern Cape region has run up debt for unpaid rent, telephone and electricity bills for the East London and Port Elizabeth offices.
Local leaders last month pleaded with Cosatu general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali and SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande to intervene.
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 following allegations of financial irregularities in managing membership subscription fees.
In a letter to Ntshalintshali, the group requested that their internal battles be resolved by the central executive committee of Cosatu because “the national office bearers of Cosatu have for the past six years been unable to to arrest the situation”.
Ceppwawu’s Eastern Cape regional chairman Sam Xaba confirmed yesterday they were facing eviction as head office had failed to pay rent and a monthly allocation of R34000 for “activities and operations”.
He said the problems started last year when “certain” national office bearers did not follow union processes.
Xaba said payments were made for January and February but nothing since then.
He claimed those payments were only processed to enable regions to organise elections for shop stewards.
The 2014 congress was also under dispute amid allegations that it was not properly constituted and its resolutions were therefore not binding.
Xaba said the cause of the divisions in the union were mainly disagreements about a decision over whether to have an administrator running the union.
Xaba said Cosatu had failed to resolve their ructions.
SACP national spokesman Alex Mashilo confirmed the party had received the letter, but that the matter had been taken over by Cosatu as the ruling federation.
Attempts to get comment yesterday from Mofokeng or Cosatu national spokesman Sizwe Pamla were unsuccessful. — msindisif@dispatch.co.za
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