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Johannesburg - Fawu members sang outside Cosatu's headquarters in Johannesburg on Monday while waiting for Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi to arrive.
Vavi was returning to work eight months after being placed on special leave by the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu).
The Food and Allied Workers' Union (Fawu) was one of the Cosatu affiliates which called for Vavi's reinstatement.
Union members in red T-shirts gathered outside Cosatu House, and held placards reading: "We miss the critical but constructive yet mandated voice of vavi".
There was also a large poster showing Vavi's face and the words "Long live Zwelinzima Vavi".
The Fawu group was joined by SA Municipal Workers' Union members.
On Friday, the High Court in Johannesburg set aside Vavi's suspension.
Judge Phineas Mojapelo ruled that it was invalid and that the Cosatu constitution had been breached, because the decisions to suspend Vavi and investigate his conduct were not put to the vote at the central executive committee (CEC) meeting where they were made.
"A vote is prescribed as the manner in which decisions are to be taken ... therefore no valid decisions were taken," Mojapelo found.
Vavi was placed on special leave in August pending the outcome of a disciplinary hearing relating to his affair with a junior employee.
In July, the employee accused him of rape. He said they had an affair. The woman later withdrew a sexual harassment complaint against him.
Following Vavi's suspension, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), an ally of his, lodged an application in the High Court in Johannesburg challenging the decision.
Vavi then lodged papers to be added as an applicant in Numsa's challenge.
Cosatu will discuss the judgment and the way forward at a special CEC meeting on Tuesday. Numsa's position in Cosatu is also expected to be on the agenda.
Last week, Numsa wrote to Cosatu demanding that it convene a special national congress, and threatened to take the matter to court if it did not.
