Outcome of the Numsa Central Committee held on 16-17 November 2013 and matters related to the Cosatu CEC held on 18-20 November 2013, Johannesburg, November 21 2013
Introduction:
Numsa convened its last Central Committee for the year 2013 on 16-17 November 2013 in the Lakes Hotel and Conference Centre.
The Numsa CC followed a very productive and successful National Policy Workshop on 12-15 November 2013 which aimed at finalizing the draft resolutions of the Numsa Special National Congress scheduled for 13-16 December 2013.
This Numsa press statement shall focus in the main on the following matters emanating from the Numsa Central Committee (CC) and Cosatu Central Executive Committee (CEC);
1. Numsa Central Committee resolutions on the Numsa Special National Congress scheduled for 13-16 November 2013
2. Numsa Central Committee resolutions on the developments within Cosatu and the Numsa Central Committee mandate for the CEC held on 18-20 November 2013
3. Decisions of the Cosatu CEC held on 18-20 November 2013
1. Numsa Central Committee on the Numsa Special National Congress:
2.1 The Central Committee received an updated report on all the logistics and invitees for the Numsa Special National Congress (SNC) to be held on 13-16 December 2013 and was satisfied that all practical arrangements are in place to ensure a successful and productive Numsa SNC.
2.2 The CC also endorsed and ratified (1) the SNC Secretariat Report, (2) the SNC discussion documents, (3) the SNC Agenda and (4) the SNC draft resolutions which will be the subject of further discussions and enrichment in 9 Numsa Regional Congresses to be held on 23 November 2013.
2.3 The CC empowered the Numsa National Office Bearers (NOB) to determine the appropriate date to publicly launch the Numsa SNC documents. The date shall be communicated in due course and members of the media shall be invited to attend and report.
2. Numsa Central Committee on the developments within Cosatu and the Numsa Central Committee mandate for the CEC held on 18-20 November 2013
The Numsa CC received a report from the Secretariat drawn from the Cosatu CEC report and mandated the Numsa National Office Bearers as follows on the following issues;
2.1 The Cosatu 2nd Deputy President:
The Numsa CC resolved that the Cosatu CEC report regarding the suspension of Comrade Zingiswa Losi was not a true reflection and a distortion of the facts at hand. The Cosatu National Office Bearers had at all material times been kept informed of the developments surrounding Comrade Zingiswa Losi.
Cosatu must respect Numsa's Constitution and appreciate that the suspension of Comrade Zingiswa Losi as a Numsa Shopsteward is an internal matter which is currently the subject matter of an investigation by the Numsa Eastern Cape Regional Executive Committee (REC) Commission of Enquiry.
There appears to be no interest by the Cosatu National Office Bearers to deal with other suspensions such as that of the Sadtu President with the same passion and energy displayed in the Losi suspension. Nor does the Numsa CC see any appetite on the part of the Cosatu NOB to look into allegations of corruption and immoral behaviour of other affiliated unions in the same manner that Numsa is being targeted.
2.2 Cosatu Special National Congress:
The CC noted that the first letter of the nine (9) affiliates calling for the convening of the Cosatu Special SNC dates back to 1stSeptember 2013.
The CC resolved that in the absence of the Cosatu President responding to Numsa's call for the SNC to be convened on 30 November 2013, we should place on the CEC agenda that unless the Cosatu President convene the SNC, a Convener should be appointed by the CEC to organise and convene the Cosatu SNC.
2.3 Election Manifesto process:
The Numsa CC noted with extreme concern that there had been no Alliance process with respect to the ANC's 2014 election manifesto, since the Alliance Summit, to take on board all Alliance partners. We have rather seen public manifesto forums organised by the ANC in which the NDP is said to feature prominently on the yet to be discussed ANC Manifesto.
The CC considered the treatment of the ANC's Alliance partners, in particular Cosatu, as nothing but contempt for the inputs of the Alliance partners. The Numsa CC was of the view that the ANC does not respect Cosatu or its views.
2.4 The accusations related to the Cosatu Rustenburg meeting:
The Numsa CC considered the Cosatu Rustenburg report as nothing but a Numsa bashing meeting in which meeting unsubstantiated accusations were leveled at Numsa such as;
- Numsa working hand in glove with AMCU to destroy our sister union NUM;
- That Numsa is funding AMCU to destroy NUM
- Etc. etc.
The characterization is completely wrong and it does nothing to arrest the bleeding of NUM in the affected areas. In fact calling other workers vigilantes shall have the opposite effect.
AMCU is the creation of NUM and not of NUMSA and therefore the federation should not turn a blind eye to the challenges within NUM which lead to the creation of AMCU.
The CEC of 16-18 November 2013 must be aware that AMCU is involved in a concerted effort to recruit disgruntled former Numsa shopstewards (who did not succeed in becoming Numsa Shopstewards again) to organise NUMSA membership in NUMSA organised companies particularly in the Numsa Kwazulu Natal, Eastern Cape, Hlanganani and Sedibeng Regions.
2.5 Cosatu national marches:
The Numsa CC noted that Numsa members were angered with what they regard as a turn on and turn off approach by the Cosatu leadership. It took Cosatu more than 12 months before it was awakened to the fact that the President of the RSA signed into law e-tolling in Gauteng.
The Numsa CC was unanimous in its analyses that the Cosatu action was nothing but a knee jerk reaction to the passing of laws by the ANC government which had overtaken the Federation whilst it was busy with palace politics and factional battles.
3. Decisions of the Cosatu CEC held on 18-20 November 2013:
Numsa shall in the following week convene its Central Committee to report on the following matters which was decided by the Cosatu CEC of 18-20 November 2013;
3.1 A probe into Numsa's conduct;
3.2 The call for the Cosatu Special National Congress
3.3 The attitude towards Numsa's Special National Congress
3.4 Cosatu's failure to deal with media leaks and yet continue accusing Numsa of press statements
3.5 Update on Cosatu's internal Facilitated Process
Conclusion:
We are preparing a formal response to the SACP General Secretary's interview with the Business Day wherein it is insinuated that Numsa is working with dirty money to bank roll other affiliates. A statement in this regard shall follow.
Statement issued by Irvin Jim, NUMSA General Secretary, November 21 2013
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