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EWN reports that after a day of squabbles, the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) will on Tuesday enter the second day of its conference to elect new leadership.
The conference, with its tensions, is already emulating some political conferences where there’s an ultimate victor which could lead to even more divisions in the organisation. Tensions between general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and the trade union federation’s largest affiliate – the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) – dominated the first day. Vavi, who received a letter of intention to suspend him in March, which was subsequently followed by the suspension of four office-bearers, is fighting to stay in his position. Numsa has been demanding that the status of the four be dealt with before the business of the conference gets underway. In a report to the conference, Saftu made its own assessment of the state of the organisation. It admitted that the conference was taking place at the federation’s lowest point in its five years of existence. Saftu also listed five challenges that have paralysed it, namely endless bickering by office bearers; unresolved political and ideological differences being swept under the carpet but hovering over the federation; lack of resources; the threat of business unionism; and the weakening of revolutionary morality. Saftu said there was an urgent task to capacitate the federation. But with Vavi’s career on the line, these issues might once again take a backseat on Tuesday. The conference is set to continue until Thursday.
- Read the original of the report in the above regard by Tshidi Madia at EWN
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