Numsa public statement on Cosatu lawyers’ letter
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has received a letter from attorneys representing the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) demanding that Numsa pay R3 253 947.03 in outstanding affiliation fees owed to the federation, and threatening to institute legal proceedings if Numsa fails to comply with this demand!
This is the same Cosatu which expelled Numsa, and its then 345 000 members from its ranks on unfounded and preposterous grounds. It is an incredible move which can only mean that the federation is now not only politically bankrupt, but financially bankrupt as well, following the departure of Fawu and financial problems within several affiliates. As part of this new and absurd strategy and in order to fill the coffers of this bankrupt federation, Fawu has equally been targeted.
How else can they explain an attempt to recover money from workers they have expelled and said they no longer want or indeed those who have willingly left their ranks?
On 30 March 2015 the Cosatu CEC went on to confirm the affiliation of a new union, the Liberated Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Limusa) led by a former Numsa president, Cedric Gina. They agreed that Limusa met the requirements for affiliation. This confirmed that there was to be no way back for Numsa, since Limusa was to be operating in exactly the same sectors of the workforce. This new union was of course impelled by Cosatu itself, in advance of unlawfully expelling Numsa as part of a dark and unsettling political strategy.
Numsa was intentionally also denied any right to appeal against its expulsion at two separate National Congresses in 2015 - a special Congress in July, at which Numsa was not allowed to appear and the normal Congress in November. Despite strenuous efforts by Fawu, Saccawu and others to allow Numsa to appeal and to reverse the decision to accept Limusa’s affiliation, the decisions were endorsed.