National
Mixed reaction to Dlamini’s message at Cosatu congress─── 12:43 Tue, 14 Jul 2015
Johannesburg - Congress of SA Trade Unions president Sdumo Dlamini’s call for unity was met with applause from his supporters and booing from some of the disgruntled unions at the federation’s special national congress on Tuesday.
Dlamini took to the podium to open the congress that saw disputes over credentials being put to a vote on Monday night.
Referring to the expelled National Union of Metalworkers Union of SA (Numsa), Dlamini called on affiliates to free themselves from enslavement by a union that was outside of the trade union federation.
”Free yourselves…you can’t be enslaved by another union inside or outside Cosatu. Free yourself comrades, attend the central executive committee (CEC) of Cosatu and argue your stance…when we vote, do not abstain from that process,” he said to an applause by his supporters, and a booing from the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) and the SA Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu) delegates.
Dlamini added that Numsa was attacking Cosatu.
”Numsa is attacking us. They are not showing any sign of change at the moment. I read their document they authored recently…they planned against [the] Cosatu congress and resolved in that document to break Cosatu.”
Numsa, which was the biggest affiliate in terms of membership, was expelled last year for bringing the federation into disrepute. This was followed by the expulsion of former Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi in March.
Dlamini told delegates that Numsa was given enough time to review its stance and they refused.
”Numsa was given 18 months to review their position. If they [Numsa] come back and indicate they have changed, then this congress will give them an ear at its next sitting.”
He turned to the public sector union, the National Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) which he said had become the biggest affiliate in Cosatu with 330,000 members.
Dlamini warned Nehawu leadership to not allow their majority through numbers to make them believe they were above other unions. ‘
‘The fact that you are the bigger union now should not make you believe any other leader is a lesser factor, that does not make you any wiser than the others,” he said.
African National Congress chairwoman and Speaker of National Assembly Baleka Mbete was expected to address the congress.
ANA
