After a lengthy and charged debate, Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) members agreed on Wednesday not to stop their colleagues, whose organisations owe Cosatu millions of rands, from occupying national office positions within the labour movement.
The decision was taken after Kgalema Mothlante, the general secretary of the African National Congress, urged Cosatu members not to amend the constitution of the federation to bar such members from high office within the federation.
The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) had earlier proposed that the congress should amend the federation’s constitution to force members whose organisations were “not in good standing” with Cosatu from being elected to national office.
Debate on that issue raised the ire of the National, Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), the biggest debtor within Cosatu, and forced the talks to carry on for more than two hours.
Vusi Nhlapo, the president of Nehawu, argued that leaders who come from organisations that owed Cosatu money should be allowed to be voted into office of the federation because Cosatu could lose the best brains behind it as a result of that.
But Senzeni Zokwana, the president of the National Union of Mineworkers, said: “Those people who are best are not able to assist their own affiliates. We should not be emotional about this because this will ensure that leaders are doing their work.
“This is not meant to target anybody; but to ensure that from now onwards we are not going to allow that. We want to build a strong Cosatu with a strong leadership.”
However, his organisation later back-tracked from that position.
Satawu wanted to amend the constitution of the federation so that only a person who comes from an organisation that was not in debt with Cosatu should be voted into high office — much to the outrage of Nehawu.
The congress then agreed not to amend the constitution, but to mandate the central executive committee of Cosatu to deal with problems of that nature as they arise.
The agreement was reached after a lengthy debate, which saw some members of the federation walk out of the congress venue. Inside the conference centre, emotions ran high as other organisations complained that they were not afforded ample time to raise their views.
It emerged about five months ago that 11 out of 19 trade unions affiliated to Cosatu were in financial difficulties and some may find it hard to survive the next four years.
The financial turmoil has resulted in many affiliates not paying their subscription fees, and has placed Cosatu into a difficult position regarding the recruitment of personnel into key posts.
The hardest-hit organisation included Nehawu, the South African Commercial and Catering Workers Union, the Performing Arts Workers’ Equity and the South African Agricultural Plantation and Allied Workers Union.
Satawu, the Communications Workers Union, the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers and the Food and Agricultural Workers Union, the South African Democratic Nurses Union, the South African State and Allied Workers Union and the South African Football Players Union were likely to experience problems in future, it was reported then.
Nehawu is the biggest debtor with about R2,5-million outstanding in affiliation fees. The union has not paid fees in the past 10 months. Saccawu also did not pay its fees for the past 15 months and owes about R1,7-million.
Nehawu and Saccawu have been plagued by organisational and leadership problems and were described in the report as “affiliates no longer in good standing”.
Nhlapo said on Wednesday that Nehawu would, in February 2004, have settled its debt with Cosatu.
Meanwhile, the logo of the trade union federation was changed at the congress to include the word “Cosatu” in it.
The previous logo had three workers with a turning wheel. One of the workers is lifting a hammer, another flying the flag of the labour movement, and the third person in the logo has his hands on the wheel — turning it. The new logo has the inscription “Cosatu” at the bottom of the logo. — Sapa
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