Fin24 reports that according the general secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), Irvin Jim, the union was being attacked by propaganda campaigns on social media aimed at sowing division ahead of its conference.
The union’s upcoming elective conference is set to take place at the Cape Town International Convention Center from 25 to 29 July. Jim said individuals have been "tip-toeing in the shadows", setting up groups on social media platforms like the Facebook group "the Numsa we want" and "Numsa 2". "What is disturbing is that they behave in a disruptive manner and the faction calling itself Numsa 2 has been spreading misinformation ahead of the conference. The goal of this faction is clear. They want to impose their own leadership on the union. If they fail, they will work to collapse and liquidate the union," said Jim. Also at issue will be 3Sixty Life, the life insurance subsidiary of the Numsa Investment Company, which was placed under curatorship last year. Jim defended his bid to halt 3Sixty Life's curatorship as a step to preserve a business that worked to improve the lives of workers. When asked if he would stand for re-election as general secretary at the conference, Jim said such a question was "premature". He indicated that nominations were open until 22 July and would be handled by an external electoral body. Jim asserted that the union must emerge from the conference with a renewed commitment to advancing workers' interests in tandem with the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), the Socialist Revolutionary Workers Party (SRWP) and the United Front (UF).
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khulekani Magubane at Fin24
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