Secret talks for the country’s largest trade union, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) to return to Cosatu have emerged as one of the factors behind the implosion of the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu).
Sunday World has established that leaders of Cosatu’s largest union, the National, Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), are leading behind-the-scenes talks with Numsa’s top brass to bring back the metalworkers to the ANC-led tripartite alliance.
Leaders in both federations have acknowledged that the dramatic expulsion of Cosatu’s biggest union (Numsa) in 2014 dealt the federation a major blow and weakened the workers’ voice and bargaining power.
Furthermore, Saftu has found it hard to have influence on the shop floor and the country’s policy direction while operating outside key institutions such as the National Economic and Labour Council (Nedlac), which brings the government, business, and
labour together.
Nedlac has become a key location of influence to power due to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s leadership style of building a social compact on major issues in the country.
Several central executive committee members of Cosatu told Sunday World that there was consensus among the federation’s affiliates to bring back Numsa.
Nehawu general secretary Zola Saphetha is said to have initiated the talks with Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim.
“Actually, we have a lot in common. Numsa is still a big and solid union, despite the failure of their political project.”
“There is humility now. People are humbled. Cosatu has learnt lessons that you can’t fire your biggest affiliate and not suffer the consequences. The current leadership has seen the damage caused by the firing of Numsa,” a Cosatu leader said.
Cosatu’s second-largest affiliate, the SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu), was one of the unions showing interest in welcoming Numsa back.
Sunday World has learnt that Sadtu president Magope Maphila used his address to the organisation’s KwaZulu-Natal conference on Thursday to tell teachers that there were negotiations to welcome back Numsa.
A Sadtu official said: “The attitude is that we are amenable to have Numsa back.”
There is also agreement among Cosatu leaders that most of the key leaders behind the expulsion of Numsa and former Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi have since left the federation, paving the way for a new chapter.
They include former Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini, former Nehawu boss Fikile “Slovo” Majola and former National Union of Mineworkers president Senzeni Zokwana.
Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said the federation has directed all unions to work with other unions in their own sectors, adding that it held a strong principle of one country, one federation and one union, one industry.
Cosatu invited Vavi to its central committee meeting in November last year.
Jim said: “My response to you is that this is a lie, there has not been such a discussion.” He added that they “met (with Saphetha) briefly last night (Thursday) at Birchwood Hotel, we greeted, not more than five minutes and chatted briefly as comrades”.
Saphetha reiterated Cosatu’s stance of bringing other unions to its fold but said Nehawu is not leading the process.
This comes as a tense three-day meeting of Saftu’s national executive committee ended in drama yesterday.
Affiliates aligned to Vavi voted for the suspension of four officials involved in attempts to suspend him on allegations of misconduct.
Vavi turned the tables on Mac Chabalala, who was at the forefront of the intention to put him on precautionary suspension, second deputy president Thabo Matsose, deputy general secretary Phakedi Moleko and national treasurer Motshwari Lecogo.
The very first day of the meeting descended into chaos as tensions simmered.
A video is circulating in which Jim nearly came to blows with some of the leaders, with one shouting “we can’t be enslaved by you any further” while Jim is saying “we will speak our mind here”.
The battle for the control of Numsa has pitted Vavi against his old ally Jim, in what has become a war for survival for both.
Vavi is believed to be behind a campaign to unseat Jim and replace him Vuyo Lufele, Numsa’s Western Cape regional secretary. The former Cosatu boss on the other hand believes Jim has a hand in attempts to remove him as Saftu boss.
Chavalala, is a known ally of Jim and leads Numsa’s biggest region of Hlanganani. But most of the affiliates have rallied behind Vavi.
It is understood that Numsa’s return to Cosatu is a planned move to leave Vavi with an empty shell as most of the Saftu affiliates were small and lacked resources. Vavi’s salary was for some time being paid by Numsa.
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