Deep divisions within several affiliates of the country’s biggest trade union federation, Cosatu, are threatening to trigger a bitter battle for top positions when the organisation holds its elective conference next month.
Some of the federation’s large affiliates – especially in the public sector – are said to be plagued by factionalism that is weighing down efforts to unite them in support of leaders to guide the organisation beyond September.
Traditionally, the federation’s central executive committee and public sector unions’ structures such as the joint mandatory committee (JMC) manage the leadership succession to prevent bruising fights that may cripple the organisation.
While it appears that Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi is in pole position to retain her status, it has now emerged that her detractors have mounted a push-back against her.
This comes as it also emerged that there was a strong lobby to oust the federation’s general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali.
Should that happen, he would be the first Cosatu boss to be removed after serving one term since the formation of the federation in 1985.
Cosatu’s second deputy president, Louis Thipe, is said to have indicated that she will relinquish her position.
The federation’s national treasurer, Freda Oosthuysen is set to retain her position after her affiliate, the powerful Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (Sactwu), is understood to have made a strong case for her.
One of the largest Cosatu affiliates, the SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu), is insisting that the leadership that emerges from the congress should reflect the balance between public and private sector unions.
“The leadership should also reflect gender parity and youth representation,” said Sadtu general secretary Mugwena Maluleke.
Another affiliate, the South African Commercial Catering and Allied Workers Union, said it will hold a meeting tomorrow, after which it will announce the changes it wants to see in Cosatu’s leadership.
But a central executive committee member said affiliates were too divided to have a unified approach to Cosatu’s leadership, with officials such as general secretaries and presidents scrambling for power.
“There have been few contestations in the last few years. The difference this time around is that unions are themselves fragmented. You are set to see an ANC and SACP situation [of fierce leadership contestations].”
The public sector caucus JMC – where approaches to bargaining councils and the National Economic Development and Labour Council are discussed – has been weakened by divisions.
Maluleke, who used to chair the JMC, has resigned, while the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union has dumped the JMC.
“Public sector unions are divided. They are not on good terms generally,” a source in Cosatu said. – additional reporting by Sandile Motha
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
