Expelled from COSATU: NUMSA members pay the price for leadership problems and disagreements

Cosatu is an amalgamated alliance of leftist labour unions that was formed in 1985.

This alliance of unions was founded on shared revolutionary principles, policies and constitution. Cosatu’s affiliates are subordinate to the labour federation’s constitution and its authority. This implies that Cosatu’s official resolutions are binding on all its member unions (affiliates).

In May 1990, a top-level meeting was convened between the ANC, SACP and Cosatu. That meeting was primarily to discuss the state of politics in the country. The three organisations resolved to forge a political solidarity and revolutionary allegiance.

Most significantly, that powerful meeting culminated in the formation of the tripartite alliance. The meeting also resolved that “the ANC shall be the leader of the tripartite alliance”.

In early 1994, the Cosatu leadership pronounced it would (always) support the ANC during elections. That pronouncement was overwhelmingly embraced by all member unions. In a reciprocal spirit, the ANC assured Cosatu that it would create “a better life for all workers”.

In 2010, squabbles and factional tensions emerged between Cosatu and Numsa leaders.

At the heart of those tensions were the contextual content of the ideological identity of Cosatu. Numsa insists that the ANC is a capitalist movement that is blind to the plight of workers.

On the other hand, Cosatu perceives the ANC as a worker-friendly ruling party. This kind of structural antagonism has paralysed relations between Cosatu and Numsa. Numsa’s greatest weakness is that it is led, controlled and commanded by one person.

That one person is none other than Irvin Jim, Numsa’s general secretary. I believe Irvin Jim’s style of leadership has turned Numsa into “a steel-fenced trade union. He has succeeded in positioning himself as the face, body and soul of Numsa.

It is an open secret that Jim is strongly disillusioned with the ruling party. He has, on many occasions, publicly disagreed with ANC economic policies. Last year, Numsa pronounced it would not support the ANC during the 2014 elections. That magnanimous decision seriously unsettled the leadership of Cosatu, ANC and SACP. Numsa further urged Cosatu to break away from the tripartite alliance. The ANC’s top leaders intervened and tried to broker a truce between Cosatu and Numsa leaders. Unfortunately, that intervention failed to achieve the desired results.

Last week, the Cosatu central committee voted and resolved to expel Numsa from the federation. Numsa’s ultra-militancy and anarchic style of engagement has cost it so terribly. Would Numsa survive outside the organisational tutelage and comfort of Cosatu?

Elvis Masoga

Political analyst