The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) began its eighth national congress in Vanderbijlpark outside Johannesburg on Monday with an address by outgoing president Mtutuzeli Tom.
The congress, which coincides with the union’s 21st anniversary, is expected to see election of Tom’s successor and other office bearers.
Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana will address members after Tom. On Tuesday, African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma, South African Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande and his counterpart in the Congress of South African Trade Unions, Zwelinzima Vavi, are expected to speak.
Zuma was due to have spoken at the congress on Monday but was attending the ANC’s national working committee meeting, said Numsa spokesperson Mziwakhe Hlangani.
The more than 200 000 union members will be represented by at least 878 voting delegates from more than 57 local branches and nine regions.
They will discuss an agenda that includes the political situation locally and globally, the trade-union movement in South Africa, collective bargaining and an organisational report.
In pre-congress website messages, delegates are urged to move beyond leadership discussions and focus on issues directly affecting workers — like the loss of permanent jobs to labour brokers, changes to the Labour Relations Act and developing shop-floor leadership.
The union, which represent hourly-paid and salaried workers in the automotive, tyre, television and cable-manufacturing sectors, as well as petrol attendants and mechanics, is an affiliate of Cosatu.
Its secretary general, Silumko Nondwangu, recently reportedly came under fire from Cosatu for being associated with former president Thabo Mbeki’s bid for a third term as ANC president, against Cosatu’s official position of support for Jacob Zuma, who was eventually elected.
Former Cosatu president Willie Madisha found himself ousted from the movement and the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union, with the Zuma issue cited as one of his infractions. — Sapa