strike
Dumisa Ntuli Second opinion Ebrahim Harvey’s article, “Lessons from the VW tragedy” (July 28 to August 3), suggests that the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa’s (Numsa) leadership was stupid, bureaucratic and irresponsible when it took a decision to suspend 13 Volkswagen shop stewards. But his article is full of inaccuracies.
He says the 13 were dismissed. In fact the union merely suspended them, pending a disciplinary hearing. He makes wild allegations about the tripartite alliance leadership and President Thabo Mbeki. Numsa was not influenced by the president to discipline the 13. This decision was taken in a union regional congress at which the African National Congress was not represented. Mbeki was not even in the country. If the 13, in collaboration with the breakaway union, Oil, Chemical, General and Allied Workers’ Union and the Socialist Workers’ Vanguard League (SWVL), had been allowed to pursue their mischievous political agenda, the company could have relocated to Germany, component manufacturing companies could have closed down and 20 000 workers could have lost their jobs. The union has attempted, from as early as 1995, to show “traditional transparency” and address the problems of workers. A VW conference agreed on a programme to resolve issues and consolidate structures and most workers implemented it. But a group called Indlu ye Ngwevu (the house of senators) resolutely defied it and fomented demands that they knew the union would not meet. They were responsible for ousting shop stewards and spreading false rumours about medical aid funds not being forwarded to the administrators.
They wanted to cause chaos by unprocedurally convening disruptive meetings, harassing loyal shop stewards and insulting members. Of the 32 shop stewards, 19 were loyal to Numsa’s policies and constitution and 13 continuously disobeyed union policies, including plant agreements. They deliberately undermined the leadership. When the regional secretary intervened, they would say he was not welcome in the plant. They held their own meetings in our shop stewards’ offices. The local shop stewards’ council in Uitenhage was not satisfied with their conduct and wanted Numsa to dismiss them. But the union agreed only to suspend them, pending disciplinary inquiries. In protest, the 19 loyal shop stewards resigned. The union then lifted the suspensions, causing Indlu ye Ngwevu to rejoice.
The union arranged to replace the 19, but Indlu ye Ngwevu went around the plant appointing shop stewards and introducing them to management. When union officials took the Numsa president to the plant, the group caused havoc. Management was confused because they did not know which shop stewards to recognise. The 13 continued to misinform and deceive the workers. So Numsa’s regional congress decided to reimpose the suspensions. In response, the 13 organised a strike to demand the lifting of their suspensions and the withdrawal of disciplinary measures, and formed a crisis committee. For three weeks the Congress of South African Trade Unions, Numsa national office bearers and alliance structures tried to persuade the workers to return to work. The union signed an agreement with the company that workers would return, in a bid to save jobs and stop the relocation. The company gave the workers an ultimatum to return. The crisis committee and the SWVL, however, refused the federation leaders access to workers. They organised their sepa-rate meetings to vilify and demonise the leadership. On the eve of the expiry of the ultimatum, the crisis committee and the SWVL told workers to defy it. The workers failed to meet the ultimatum and the company dismissed 1 300. The union has subsequently managed to force the company to reinstate 150. The union stood firm on the suspension of the 13, because workers elected shop stewards to respect their mandate in accordance with the constitution. Members are the power behind shop stewards, who are supposed to serve the interests of all workers.
The problem arose when members relinquished their power to the 13, who did not account to their electorate but empowered themselves to make critical decisions without seeking any mandate. Members felt powerless, which is why the union officials intervened and gave direction in accordance with the constitution.
Numsa’s constitution states very clearly that the union is 100% controlled by workers. At all levels, the majority of offices bearers are shop stewards from the factories. There is no way Numsa can become bureaucratic or ignore worker issues when the workers themselves control the union. We hope the writer will seek more facts and improve his investigative journalism, rather than relying on unfounded allegations. Dumisa Ntuli is the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa’s information officer