Numsa infighting threatens to spill over in umbrella Saftu

Intense leadership infighting in SA’s biggest trade union, the 340 000 member-strong National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), on the eve of its 11th national elective congress, has sparked strong fears of a mushrooming splinter group.

This threatens to weaken the umbrella body, the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), and the broader labour movement.

According to sources within Numsa, a decision by the union’s special central committee (SCC) to suspend about 30 elected leaders and shop stewards, including newly elected Saftu president Ruth Ntlokose, also serving as the union’s second deputy, has heightened concerns that a split could have on the federation.

“If the Numsa congress goes ahead as planned, with Irvin Jim being re-elected general secretary, comrade Ruth Ntlokose might be expelled by the union, creating a crisis for Saftu, where she serves as president,” a source said.

“If the purge of those not agreeing with Jim goes ahead and there is an emergence of a splinter union, that may also create financial difficulties for Saftu, which benefits over R500 000 in monthly membership subscriptions from Numsa – its biggest founding affiliate,” said the source.

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Threatening to interdict the Numsa congress from going ahead – scheduled for Monday at the Cape Town International Convention Centre – Jim and the disgruntled leaders challenging their suspensions, are today scheduled to face off in the Labour Court in Johannesburg.

In a letter addressed to nine Numsa regional office bearers, Jim on Wednesday informed them of the decision by the SCC to suspend its shop stewards and elected officials, saying they “formed part of disruptions that took place in the second Saftu national congress”.

This decision bars them from attending the upcoming national congress of the union. Said Jim: “A close examination of individuals who formed part of these disruptions [shows they] were notably from the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Ekurhuleni, Sedibeng and Mpumalanga regions.

“These comrades in a disrupting fashion, when the union leadership was articulating its mandate from the Saftu congress floor, openly caused disruptions, shouting from the back of the venue, defining themselves outside the delegation that was led by the Numsa national office bearers, by calling themselves Numsa2.”

Commenting on the impact of the Numsa’s internal bickering, labour expert Tony Healy said: “Like a political party, Numsa at leadership level is filled with people with ambitions and egos – something we have seen in many trade unions, a typical example being Cosatu,” he said.

“The transport sector has already been split into a multiplicity of unions and Numsa has [that] potential because it is a big trade union.”

– brians@citizen.co.za