Publications
Partners
Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi confirmed to the broadcaster that Numsa has turned to the courts to halt the meeting from taking place, but he added that the federation has been advised to defend the case.
Cosatu's national office bearers convened a special meeting of its CEC from 21-23 October. It said after the meeting that it will reconvene on Friday November 7.
The agenda for the meeting showed that Numsa was to be granted an opportunity to make a representation as to whether or not it should be suspended or expelled from the Cosatu.
The federation also aimed to give an update on the disciplinary processes involving Vavi, including its standing on the repeated call from Numsa for a Special National Congress.
Numsa wants the trade union federation to hold a special congress to elect new leadership, but Cosatu has strongly resisted this request.
#NUMSA Cosatu gen-sec @Zwelinzima1 confirms: NUMSA has lodged legal papers aimed at preventing CEC meeting from going ahead on Friday. SG
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) November 3, 2014#NUMSA @Zwelinzima1: Cosatu's lawyers have advised us to defend the case. SG
— Stephen Grootes (@StephenGrootes) November 3, 2014"The disorderly and anarchical actions of Numsa have placed the federation in a position where its long-term survival is at stake," Nehawu general secretary Bereng Soke told reporters in Johannesburg.
"We are clear and adamant that for the sake of the long-term survival of our union and federation... we shall effect the surgical removal of elements, whose continued existence within the fold of our federation would eventually lead to its demise," he said.
"We are convinced that [the Congress of SA Trade Unions] has now reached that agonising moment where it has to choose between its long-term survival and development, or the further corrosion of its founding principles, unity and cohesion, by the parallel internal existence of a project designed to establish a rival trade union centre."
