'Parallel structure' slated Luyolo Mkentane, The New Age, Johannesburg, 6 November 2014 COSATU president Sdumo Dlamini has lashed out at a "parallel structure" comprising NUMSA and eight unions calling for a special national congress to elect a new leadership of the trade union federation. The nine unions led by NUMSA and among them the Food and Allied Workers Union, Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA, the Public and Allied Workers Union of SA and the SA Football Players' Union, took turns taking pot shots at the COSATU leadership, during a joint media briefing in Boksburg, Johannesburg, yesterday. NUMSA president Andrew Chirwa laughed off the special meeting of COSATU's central executive committee (CEC) scheduled for tomorrow, saying the trade union federation's CEC meetings had been reduced to "meetings of gangsters (where the) most violent and dominant (union) win the game". The unions said tomorrow's meeting would be used to rubber stamp a position to expel NUMSA from COSATU for violating the federation's constitution, and to prepare the ground for the expulsion of COSATU general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi who faced a myriad of charges including financial impropriety regarding the sale and purchase of COSATU buildings. Vavi could not be reached for comment, and while it remained to be seen what fate Vavi would face should NUMSA be expelled, Dlamini said no decisions had been taken regarding the two issues. "They are using Vavi's name to pump up emotions because no decision has been taken to expel the general secretary. Comrade Vavi has not appeared in any disciplinary hearing regarding the charges he is facing," Dlamini said. He slammed the unions for creating a "parallel structure" of COSATU. "We condemn it. It's not right for any groupings to discuss what's supposed to happen internally in COSATU. There's a special CEC on Friday where NUMSA will be afforded an opportunity to explain whether or not they should be suspended or expelled for violating the constitution. Comrades must use the CEC to come and express whatever fears they have and I can assure them that we will follow procedures correctly. No one should fear going to the CEC," Dlamini said. DENOSA Gauteng chairperson Simphiwe Gada said they were committed behind their demands for an independent COSATU and for the convening of a special national congress to deal with the challenges in COSATU. Among other matters on the agenda at tomorrow's meeting are the status of COSATU second deputy president Zingiswa Losi who was fired from NUMSA; and Dlamini's response to a request for a special national congress. Asked on the way forward should NUMSA be expelled from COSATU, Craven said: "We will cross that bridge when we get there." [email protected] From: http://tnaepaper.co.za/ For your free subscription to the on-line edition of The New Age, CLICK HERE <http://www.thenewage.co.za/tnasubscription/productcart_digital.aspx?2produc t8=8-1> -- -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] . --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "YCLSA Discussion Forum" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
