The Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) decided on Wednesday that the October deadline for the launch of a new ”super federation” was unattainable.
Fedusa deputy president Koos Bezuidenhout said the national executive committee (NEC) meeting on Wednesday had nevertheless decided to continue talks about uniting Fedusa, the National Council of Trade Unions (Nactu) and the Confederation of South African Workers’ Unions (Consawu).
”We remain optimistic that we will find solutions to any and all obstacles in the path to unifying the collective voice of workers,” said Bezuidenhout, ”but it is certainly not a path that we will follow at all costs.”
Bezuidenhout told the South African Press Association that when a super federation was first suggested in November 2005, Fedusa had not considered that there might be internal structural issues within Nactu and Consawu which would take more time.
He offered as an example the fact that certain financial statements had not been supplied.
”The process of putting three federations together needs to be financially viable. They [federations] all have different systems, which are not necessarily similar,” said Bezuidenhout.
He said the federations had money, resources or reserves — they just needed to be put together in a single structure.
The building of a super federation or confederation would unite between 800 000 and 900 000 workers under one banner. This was less than an earlier estimate of 1,1-million after two unions disaffiliated from two separate federations.
The Public Servants’ Association departed from Fedusa, while the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa left Consawu.
Bezuidenhout said the formation of the super federation will facilitate inter-union cooperation, which was already happening in many industries.
”It just makes sense to put it together, so you don’t duplicate but you attain thresholds much better … rather combine than split [unions] at operational level.”
He added that unions would get their mandates from the same source and follow the same principles.
Fedusa affiliates would take the options and solutions discussed at the NEC to their structures and obtain a mandate, after which a special meeting of the NEC will be held to decide on the way forward.
The meeting agreed the initial target of October 2006 was unattainable, and that the process should not be placed under unnecessary pressure, but that time should be allowed for the process to be dealt with thoroughly to ensure that the new entity was sound and secure when it was launched. — Sapa