Seasoned unionist Zwelinzima Vavi criss-crossed Buffalo City Metro (BCM) yesterday converting hundreds of South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) members to join his newly established union.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch while more than 50 BCM road construction and waterworks workers signed forms confirming their resignations from Samwu to join the Democratic Municipal and Allied Workers’ Union of SA (Demawusa), Vavi said: “We are here to bury the sweetheart unions.”
“Workers are liberating themselves because they cannot associate with unions that share the same sheets with their employers.”
Demawusa local organiser Lalukuthula Makhubalo confirmed that since Vavi’s visit to BCM three weeks ago they had signed up 406 members.
The exodus from the Cosatu-aligned union to the newly established SA Federated Trade Union caused tensions at the entrance of BCM’s offices in Chiselhurst yesterday after an unidentified Samwu member tried to intimidate workers from signing the new forms.
But Makhubalo and his supporters did not take kindly to this. saying: “We are sick and tired of being used as pawns for those who want to get rich quickly.”
At the centre of the troubles at BCM shopfloor level was a R40000 windfall workers received earlier this year following a deal between Samwu and the BCM management.
A Demawusa recruit, Bongani Krokrani, said Samwu shop stewards informed them they would receive R120000, not R40000.
“The question Samwu leaders are unable to answer is why the drop from R120000 to R40000? Instead of our shop stewards answering these questions, they got promoted to management positions. That is wrong. And now that we have a new union, we are going to make BCM account and explain why these senior positions were not advertised but just given to shop stewards.
“We have records of who got what and their academic qualifications and experience. We are going to get to the bottom of this,” said Krokrani.
Vavi said next week they would be moving to areas such as Butterworth and Mthatha, to allow their new members to sign membership forms.
“As they join the union, they are given other forms to resign as Samwu members.
“Workers are tired of belonging to unions who don’t consult them when they are at the bargaining council.
“That is why they are here in their numbers,” said Vavi.
An unidentified Samwu member at the entrance of the roads section in Chiselhurst had tried in vain to convince workers against joining the new union, saying: “These are fly-by-nights.”
His tactics did not help either, as he said: “I am registering all of you.”
Krokrani, who was in the crowd waiting for Vavi at the main gate just before 9am, told the Samwu leader: “Go away. This is our time, not yours! We are sick and tired of your Samwu!”
In support of Krokrani, Makhubalo said: “No amount of intimidation is going to make us hide away. We have clocked in already. Even if you deduct money from us, it will be our salaries, not yours, which will be deducted. We know how to deal with the principle of ‘no work no pay’,” said Makhubalo.
Saftu is a breakaway federation from Cosatu following the expulsion of both Vavi and Numsa from the ANC alliance partner in 2015.
Vavi said they would spend the whole day in BCM before moving to areas such as Mthatha next week, to sign up new members.
“They are calling us in every part of the Eastern Cape.”
He said workers had paid a huge price to allow union leaders to sell them out.
“Workers have not been given anybody to negotiate on their behalf for many years.
“As a result there has been no collective bargaining for many years . As a result, employers are doing as they wish.
“They impose whatever wage they see fit for workers and workers have seen enough of that,” added Vavi. — zineg@dispatch.co.za