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Cape Town - Cosatu’s long-awaited special national congress (SNC) is set to go ahead this week as ordered by the High Court in Johannesburg.
The congress will take place in Midrand on Monday and Tuesday, with nine trade unions loyal to expelled Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi in attendance.
The unions indicated at the start of the month that they were not happy with the agenda.
“We shall attend and participate in the SNC, but will do so under ... strong protest at this attempt to deny the membership their right to have robust debates on the serious and unprecedented challenges facing the federation," the so-called Nine Plus Unions stated at the time.
The group said it will insist during the congress that delegates be allowed to discuss the National Union of Metalworkers of SA's (Numsa) expulsion from Cosatu and Vavi's dismissal, among other things.
Numsa was booted from Cosatu last November after it failed to support the ANC in the last general elections. This went against Cosatu's constitution.
Vavi was expelled as the federation’s general secretary after a special Central Executive Committee meeting decided he was guilty of gross misconduct.
Numsa general secretary Karl Cloete said on the eve of the meeting that history was expected to be made at the SNC.
"We request that every delegate in this congress boldly and freely demand that Numsa be returned and Comrade Zweli reinstated in his position. Anything short of this will see the end of Cosatu," he said.
Cosatu is holding an ordinary congress in November where it has said Numsa and Vavi can appeal their expulsions.
The election of new leadership would also only happen at the November congress.
