Unions absent at Cosatu congress
The SA Football Players’ Union (Safpu) and the South African State and the Allied Workers Union (Sasawu) were on Monday absent from the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) elective congress in Johannesburg.
The two affiliates were not on acting general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali’s credentials roll call presented at the start of the congress.
The two unions, together with several other Cosatu affiliates, stood with the National Union of Metal Workers of SA’s (Numsa) when it unsuccessfully fought against former secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi’s dismissal from the trade union federation earlier this year. Vavi was dismissed for alleged misconduct.
The 2500 Cosatu delegates gathered at the congress would this week elect new leaders and come up with resolutions on various issues, including how to attract millions of workers who are not union members. The congress is set to end on Thursday.
Cosatu, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, is faced with internal divisions, declining membership, and questions around its position and influence within the tripartite alliance.
The expulsion last year of Numsa from Cosatu made a huge dent in Cosatu membership. Numsa has more than 300 000 members. - ANA