Numsa leaders avoid contact with Ntlokose after losing court battle

In what has been seen as a show of defiance to a Johannesburg Labour Court judgment handed down last weekend, National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) national office bearers will today convene a meeting to reflect on the scathing ruling – without second deputy president Ruth Ntlokose.

The court declared the suspension of Ntlokose, Numsa second deputy president, and several others unconstitutional and invalid.

Judge Graham Moshoana also interdicted Numsa against holding its five-day national elective congress, which would have begun yesterday at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

Ntlokose told The Citizen how she had been isolated by her comrades, not being invited to today’s meeting and without access to the union’s e-mails.

While the court compelled Numsa to reinstate her, union leaders have so far dragged their feet, avoiding contact with her. The reaction has made it difficult for her to reoccupy her office at Numsa’s Newtown headquarters in Johannesburg.

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Reflecting on the impact of the judgment, Ntlokose described the ruling as being about “workers who are confronted with injustices within the union, with some having been suspended for raising different views – their voice suppressed”.

She said: “We are of the view that this judgment has restored the culture and robustness of engaging each other within the union.

“From the beginning, we have maintained that our suspension was unconstitutional, invalid and unenforceable, with the court having confirmed that – so we are vindicated.”

Despite being in Johannesburg and not in Cape Town, Ntlokose said Numsa had no alternative “but to operate within the auspices and the ambit of the law, guided by the Labour Relations Act”.

“Until such time that the judgment is reviewed by the Labour Appeal Court, Numsa has to adhere to the weekend judgment.

“The court has pronounced that I should return to my office and operate in the manner I did after my election. With my suspension now lifted, until a normal congress takes place, I remain second deputy president of the union,” said Ntlokose.

Asked whether she was confident of her application succeeding, she said: “Sometimes you go to court with confidence, just as the Numsa national spokesperson went public to say what the central committee did was right in suspending us. But at the end of the day, things did not go that way.

“What the court has taught us, was that the decision which was taken was irrational, invalid and unconstitutional. We had confidence in our case, in our counsel. The court eventually ruled in our favour.”

With counsel for the union central committee reiterating the impact of “millions of workers’ money being lost, should the congress not take place”, Ntlokose said: “Him saying the congress could not be held [to] ransom [by] 33 people was a display of being short-sighted.

“One thing he kept on forgetting was that he was also referring to regional leaders – the Western Cape representing more than 30 000 of the membership, Mpumalanga with more than 22 000.

“This was not a matter to be just reduced to numbers… Those suspended represent a huge constituency.”

Numsa national spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said: “No comment at this time.”

– brians@citizen.co.za