Internal divisions set to weaken Saftu, says analyst

The impact of the fallout between the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) national office bearers and its general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi is set to weaken it, leading to some unions ditching the 800 000-member strong fledgling federation, a labour analyst has warned.

Reeling from tensions between Vavi, Saftu president Mac Chavalala, second deputy president Thabo Matsose and deputy general secretary Moleko Phakedi, the country’s second-largest labour federation has been plunged into crisis, fuelled on Monday by a decision taken by the office bearers, to place Vavi on an immediate precautionary suspension pending investigations.

In what Vavi has described as vague allegations, the office bearers have accused him of breaching the administration and finance policy – “disrespecting, undermining constitutional structure decisions and resolutions”.

In a letter addressed to the office bearers and to the Saftu national executive committee (NEC), Vavi wrote: “I reject your unlawful and unconstitutional conduct, which is not only unheard of, but defies the logic of natural justice.

“Clause 3[5], section 3.3[5.3], subsection 3.3.5, deal with the suspension of an office bearer and it states that under the power and duties, NEC may suspend any office bearer or official of the federation for sufficient cause, until the matter is decided at the next meeting of the central committee.

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“Be therefore, advised that national office bearers cannot usurp the powers of the NEC.

“Therefore, your so-called decision is unlawful.

“Why must I even answer your deliberately vague, spurious, wild and unsubstantiated allegations?

“It seems evident that these wild allegations are designed to cast the net wide in order to justify a political decision taken elsewhere, which has nothing to do with the allegations.”

Warning that the Saftu action against Vavi would weaken the federation, labour analyst Andrew Levy, said it would trigger an exodus from the federation of pro-Vavi union affiliates.

“Those who support Vavi will leave Saftu – leaving the federation weaker. “Whether you love him or you hate him, Vavi is a very charismatic fellow, very experienced and been around in the labour sphere for several years

“As we have seen in the past – when he led the Congress of South African Trade Unions [Cosatu] – there was pro- and anti-Vavi factions, something which ultimately led to the breakaway of Numsa [the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa] from Cosatu and the formation of Saftu.

“The labour federation is already weak, something union leaders don’t recognise.

“This will undoubtedly be a blow to Saftu, because Vavi is a very competent trade union leader who has been around the block.

“Vavi has been a survivor in the past so we will have to wait and see.”

His fate would depend “on the nature of the allegations and how he plans to refute them”.

“He basically has two options: to fight or to run. And Vavi never chose to be a runner in the past.

“My guess is that he is likely to rally all the support he can find around him and try to battle it all out.

“This is unlikely to play out in our courts because union leaders do their best to keep it away from the courts of law.

“If it comes to the worst, there will be a disciplinary hearing. “Vavi may live to fight another day – I doubt they will fire him.”

– brians@citizen.co.za