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Johannesburg - The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has called on the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) to break from the ANC-led alliance, general secretary Irvin Jim said on Friday.
"The time for looking for an alternative has arrived," he said to applause by delegates at the union's special national congress in Boksburg.
He said Numsa would lead a new united front.
"The task of this front will be to fight for the implementation of the freedom charter and to be the organisational weapon against neo-liberal policies such as the National Development Plan (NDP)," he said.
Numsa would push for a Cosatu special congress.
"Failing the convening of the Cosatu special national congress by president [Sidumo Dlamini] we will invoke clause 3.3.2.2 of the federation's constitution. This clause states that the Cosatu central executive committee can appoint a convenor for the special national congress."
As part of the fight, Numsa should withhold subscription fees from Cosatu until it convened a congress.
"We will organise a march to Cosatu House to push the Cosatu leadership to accede to the clarion call for a special national congress and withdrawal of charges against [suspended] Cosatu general secretary [Zwelinzima Vavi]."
He said the march should coincide with the first Cosatu central executive meeting in February 2014.
Vavi was suspended from Cosatu after he had an affair with a junior employee at the union federation's headquarters.
