Saftu’s future hangs in the balance

Federation split over suspension of four

THE future of the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) hangs in the balance as the second elective congress of the federation presents a possible split.

The federation’s largest union, the National Union of Metal Workers SA (Numsa), threatened to leave the congress yesterday after tensions over the suspension of four national office bearers that Numsa claimed had been unfair.

The federation is in a constitutional crisis with no clear indication of how to deal with the matter of the four suspended officials.

Numsa’s general secretary Irvin Jim has also threatened to take the federation to court if the suspension of the four is not lifted. The union had made several attempts to try to ensure that the four leaders were recognised by the conference as legitimate leaders.

This brought the congress to a vote on Tuesday. Unions that are in support of the federation’s general secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, emerged victorious as the suspension of the four was upheld.

The four were suspended by the federation’s NEC for usurping the powers of the NEC and suspending Vavi over alleged financial misconduct.

Vavi was later reinstated and the four were suspended for bringing the federation into disrepute. The federation is also struggling with dwindling membership.

The third day of the congress yesterday was marred by more disruptions and more debates over the future of the four.

Numsa and some unions suggested that the four should be placed on the ballot paper for the election of new leaders. This was met with shock by some leaders who accused Numsa of delaying the congress.

“We can subject this matter to another vote and waste time for this congress. Otherwise you can have a leadership of Saftu that is illegally and wrongfully suspended. They remain legitimate shop stewards,” Jim said.

Vavi, who has been trying his best to convince the congress to unite the federation from imploding, appealed with delegates to consider the future of the federation.

Numsa has denied that there were talks calling for the union’s return to Cosatu.

Meanwhile, the SA Police Union (Sapu) said it was not in support of Vavi coming back for a second term as the federation’s boss. The union’s Peter Ntsime said the problem was that certain individuals were seen as the face of Saftu. Some unions had also blamed Vavi for the decline in the federation’s membership.

The Star understands that Numsa and the Food and Allied Workers Union had declined in membership.

“The problem is that people align the federation to individuals. No individual owns the federation. We need leaders who will lead this federation. No one is guiding us to say how we resolve this situation,” Ntsime said.

He said Sapu was also in support of the four being placed on the ballot.

The Star understand that union leaders were in small emergency meetings yesterday trying to plead with the unions to save the federation. “Our position is, why try to save the federation now, this congress is not an NEC. They could not solve issues in the NEC…” The federation is expected to announce its new leaders at the conference today.