Rebel unions face battle of ideas

Most unions attending the workers’ summit in Joburg, including the largest union, the Numsa, gave the thumbs up for the new federation.

Johannesburg -

Cosatu rebels who punted the formation of a new labour federation were unable to give it public support on Saturday as they had not yet received the go-ahead from members.

Nor could Solidarity and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction - two major unions on which organisers are counting - as they need to hold congresses to decide on joining the new body.

However, most unions attending the workers’ summit in Joburg, including the largest union, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), did give the thumbs up for the new federation. The country will know its name and logo by next year.

While many delegates wanted a federation to be formed at the summit, the momentous task of bringing it to life will not be easy.

Not only do the 30 unions who attended the indaba have ideological differences, but many of them organise in the same sectors and this could lead to power struggles.

Unions that have supported Cosatu's axed general secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, and Numsa told The Sunday Independent they needed to hold special congresses before they could join the federation.

“We are a victim of processes,” said SA Football Players Association general secretary Thulaganyo Gaoshubelwe.

Food and Allied Workers Union general secretary Katishi Masemola said his union would hold its congress in July.

However, he said the union would be at the May Day rally organised by the conveners of the new federation in Thembisa today.

Although some Cosatu members were not mandated by their leaders to participate in the summit, Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA delegates from the East Rand were in attendance, citing unhappiness with the largest labour federation.

Organisers believe a new federation would quickly gain traction among frustrated workers.

“The future of our country is deeply contested,” reads a discussion document handed out at the summit.

“And that contest is fundamentally a class contest. As long as the material conditions of the working class do not drastically improve, the gains of the democratic will gradually dissolve.”

This notion is supported by Amcu, one of the most militant and fastest-growing unions.

Its general secretary, Jeffrey Mphahlele, told delegates that while the union had not yet decided whether to join the new federation, “we are accepting that perhaps this is the right way to go”.

“What you have started comrades should be unstoppable. This is history, nobody will liberate you.

“You as workers must remember that the agenda of economy was left unattended here in Kempton Park. We got the 1994 independence which was a political settlement. But we are not liberated economically. So our struggle is only starting now,” Mphahlele said, to thunderous applause.

Gideon du Plessis, general secretary of the mainly white Solidarity, agreed the summit was history in the making.

He said his union could no longer function as an island and, due to the onslaught on workers, co-operation was critical.

“If we can create a stable labour dispensation and rise above our differences, it would be a huge step forward,” he told The Sunday Independent.

Solidarity is to decide next month on the relationship it should have with the new federation.

While most of the unions at the gathering want it to have a socialist orientation, Solidarity supports a free market economy.

It also does not want the banning of labour brokers or the introduction of a national minimum wage, which are among the demands of the summit's organisers.

However, Du Plessis was confident some kind of partnership could be worked out.

An ideological tug-of-war awaits the new federation before it is formed. It will have to accommodate diverse identities in the various unions.

Most of the founding unions are breakaways from Cosatu, alienated by the ideological contradictions thrown up by its alliance with the ruling party.

It remains to be seen if a new federation will be more adept at handling ideological diversity than Cosatu, although Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim is bullish.

“This summit must give Amcu and Solidarity a big round of applause,” he said.

“We are inspired by socialism, but we have enough tolerance to unite workers.”

Sunday Independent