Cosatu holds three-day CEC

Cosatu holds three-day CEC

Cosatu is holding a three-day central executive committee (CEC) meeting, starting on Monday, where it is expected to discuss its special national congress.

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The meeting which will be held at Cosatu House in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, will be attended by national office bearers, leaders of affiliated unions, and provincial structures, spokesman Patrick Craven said in a statement on Monday.
   
Other issues on the agenda included unity within the trade union federation, an update on the high court litigation, and the 2014 general elections and manifesto process.
   
Congress of SA Trade Unions president Sidumo Dlamini on Monday told PowerFM that the trade union federation was preparing for a special congress. He said a date had not yet been set.
   
"We can't say there is a date until we know what the agenda is."
   
Nine of Cosatu's 19 affiliates had called for a special national  congress.
   
The call came after Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi was placed on special leave in August for having an affair with a junior employee.
   
However, in September, Dlamini said Vavi did not feature among the reasons given by member unions for the special congress.
   
Vavi had been put on special leave pending the outcome of a disciplinary hearing relating to his affair.
   
In July, the employee accused him of rape. He said they had an affair. The woman subsequently withdrew a sexual harassment complaint against him.
   
Following Vavi's suspension the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), an ally of his, lodged an application in the High Court in Johannesburg challenging his suspension.
   
Vavi then lodged papers to be added as an applicant in Numsa's challenge. In these, he asks the court to grant him an interim order interdicting and restraining Cosatu from enforcing any decision taken at its CEC meeting in August.
   
He wants final relief to review and set aside the decision to suspend him and institute disciplinary proceedings.
   
Dlamini on Monday told PowerFM that the CEC was expected to receive a report on the progress of the investigation against Vavi.
   
"That work is handled by independent people who have been investigating for quite some time. I think that work will be reported to the CEC on when charges are being preferred and whether there are any charges," he said.
   
According to a weekend report the Numsa was expected to come under fire at the CEC meeting. There had even been talk about a possible push to expel the union from the union federation, City Press reported.
   
A source from a union opposing Vavi told the paper there would be a push in Monday's CEC to expel Numsa for ill-discipline, although it was not clear which unions would drive this.
   
Another CEC member denied any knowledge of the planned expulsion.    
 
Cosatu’s constitution allowed for the CEC to suspend or expel an affiliate for "acting against the interests of the federation", failing to pay affiliation fees, or failing to attend two consecutive meetings without an acceptable apology.
   
-Sapa

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