Farouk Chothia
THE Food and Allied Workers’ Union has suspended its Natal leadership and frozen all regional bank accounts after the Natal executive refused to implement a controversial new constitution, said Fawu sources.
The Fawu Natal region — the second largest in the union — will launch an application in the Cape Town Supreme Court today to have their suspension set aside. Among those suspended are regional chairman Abigail Diko and secretary Freedom Dlamuka.
Sources said Fawu Natal members had also threatened to withhold their subscription fees if the crisis was not resolved.
They added that Fawu’s regional secretary in the Orange Free State, Isaac Matsoeme, had been suspended for failing to set up structures envisaged in the new constitution.
Fawu national media officer Nelson Sitsili declined to give reasons for the crackdown on the Natal regional executive committee, but sources said conflict over a new constitution, which cuts the number of Natal branches from five to three, was the cause of the problem.
Although the Fawu regional leadership has defied the suspension order by continuing to work, they can no longer make out-going telephone calls from their offices and the executive is unable to meet day-to-day expenses.
The suspension meant the Fawu Natal region had no representation at Cosatu’s national congress last week. But sources said after Natal leaders threatened to “march” into the congress hall, Cosatu top brass met representatives of both sides.
After they failed to find common ground in subsequent talks, the Natal region launched an urgent application in the Rand Supreme Court last Friday to have the suspension order set aside. Mr Justice John Myburgh ruled the matter was not urgent — and an application will now be launched in the Cape Town Supreme Court for a full hearing.
While Fawu national sources insisted the new constitution was ratified at a national policy conference last year, Natal leaders claimed the minutes were “cooked”.
Natal sources further claimed the industrial registrar has still not ratified the constitution on grounds that it does not comply with the Labour Relations Act. The registrar’s office confirmed that until a “few issues” were ironed out the constitution would not be approved.
Fawu Natal sources believe cutting the number of Natal branches would result in membership being “neglected” and “bureaucracy being entrenched. Natal will have less representation at national level This will suit people who see Natal as a militant region.”