Fight not over for Numsa

Johannesburg - The expulsion of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) from Cosatu is a well-orchestrated programme, secretary general Irvin Jim said on Sunday.

"[Cosatu president] Sidumo Dlamini is the kingpin [of the move] to basically liquidate Numsa," he told reporters.

Jim charged that the African National Congress (ANC) and its alliance partners the SA Communist Party (SACP) and Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) wanted Numsa out of the trade union federation, with Dlamini playing a major role.

"We have over time watched his [Dlamini's] leadership, he is divisive..."

He said Numsa's expulsion was "pulled" for the ANC and SACP.

Numsa would conduct mass meetings countrywide to speak to workers about its future.

"The fight is not over."

Jim called on Numsa members to continue to attend Cosatu meetings at the shop-floor levels.

"We are challenging them to remove Numsa shop stewards," he said.

He said ANC policies have over time been against the workers.

"The National Development Plan was a cut-and-paste policy of the DA... The ANC has abandoned the freedom charter."

Cosatu expelled Numsa at its central executive committee in the early hours of Saturday.