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GroundUp reports that former National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) deputy president Ruth Ntlokotse has failed in her bid to hold the union and its general secretary Irvin Jim in contempt of court by proceeding with its national congress in July in spite of her having obtained an interdict stopping the event until it “complied with its own constitution”.
Ntlokotse, in her urgent application which was heard by Johannesburg Labour Court Judge Andre van Niekerk last week, also sought an order that “all that was done under the guise of the congress be declared to be null and void and resolutions passed, including nominations and elections are invalid and have no force or effect”. She wanted Jim and president Andrew Chirwa to be sent to prison for 30 days, suspended on condition that they comply with the order, which was granted by Labour Court Judge Graham Moshoana on 23 July, two days before the congress was to start. But Judge van Niekerk dismissed her application and said the union’s office bearers had complied with the conditions attached to the interdict. But, he noted that the validity of the decisions taken at the national congress had not been canvassed in the application and indicated: “Nothing in this judgment should be construed to constitute a finding of the substantive validity of any of the decisions taken by … the central committee, the credentials committee or the national congress.” He pointed out that Ntlokotse still had remedies under the common law and the Labour Relations Act to “pursue her interests and those of other disaffected union members”.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tania Broughton at GroundUp
- See too, Numsa welcomes not guilty verdict in contempt of court case, at EWN
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page