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No plans to leave Cosatu, say Vavi-supporting unions

Johannesburg - Unions loyal to expelled Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi have no plans to leave the trade union federation or form a new one if they "lose" in the upcoming special national congress.

"This thing of a new federation is not a small walk in the park, and it's not a decision to [be] made by individual leaders. It has to be a bottom-up mandated process," Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) general secretary Katishi Masemola told reporters outside the MTN office in Fairland, Johannesburg, on Wednesday.

"In our mind we do not even think about a new federation, but of course if workers through their experiences tell us that, maybe it's time to think about a new federation. We will respect that... but it's not an issue which has arisen yet."

The group, who call themselves the "Nine Plus Unions" said they would insist during the special national congress that delegates be allowed to discuss the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) expulsion from Cosatu and Vavi's dismissal, among other things.

Will raise their issues from the floor

They are not happy with the agenda set for the congress and said they planned to raise their issues from the floor.

On June 9, the High Court in Johannesburg dismissed Numsa’s application to be declared an affiliate of Cosatu. This meant it could not attend the special national congress.

Numsa was expelled from Cosatu in November last year over its decision not to support the ANC in the general elections held earlier that year, in violation of Cosatu’s constitution.

On May 11, the High Court in Pretoria ordered the trade union federation to hold the special national congress. It will take place on July 13 and 14. Numsa and other unions had brought the court application.

Cosatu is holding an ordinary congress in November where it has said Numsa and Vavi can appeal their expulsions.

The election of a new leadership would also only happen at the November congress.

Masemola said on Wednesday that if the group did not get what they wanted at the congress, they were "not going to walk away".

'If we lose we lose'

Gordon Maseko of the SA Football Players Union (Safpu)  said whether the unions won or lost at the congress, they would continue to lead the workers.

"We are democratic leaders. If we lose we lose. We'll go back to the workers and carry on leading."

Maseko said workers could not be fooled.

Although Numsa will not be allowed to participate in the congress, its president Andrew Chirwa said it would continue to fight and the metalworkers would appeal their expulsion at the ordinary congress.

"We want to be part of the SNC, workers want to be in that conference but the courts... have shut the door on us."

He said there will be a fight in the congress for what the group feels "is the right thing".

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