LIMUSA inaugural congress statement
28 June 2015
The Liberated Metalworkers Union of South Africa, LIMUSA held its historic inaugural congress from 27-28 June 2015 at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood campus under the theme“Metal workers reclaiming their rightful place and building unity in the broader working class struggle”. This founding congress of the only home of metal workers was hallmarked by robust and rigorous debates that set the tone for union that the 250 delegates from near and far provinces of South Africa were welding and engineering.
The congress was addressed by the President of COSATU, comrade Sidumo Dlamini and the National Deputy Chairperson of the SACP, Thulas Nxesi who both excused themselves from the alliance summit in order to grace this founding congress of metal workers.
The congress unanimously elected the following leaders:
President: Comrade Siboniso Mdletshe (Gauteng)
1st deputy president: Comrade Edwin Ratlapane ( Limpopo)
2nd deputy president: Akhona Dweba (KZN)
General Secretary: Comrade Cedric Gina (KZN)
Deputy General Secretary: Comrade Mawonga Madolo (Eastern Cape)
National Treasurer: Comrade Sello Rapao (Gauteng)
Declaration of the Congress
The LIMUSA 1st National Congress which brings together delegates from eight provinces convened from the 27th to the 28th of June 2015 at the Edgewood Campus of UKZN in Durban.
This being our inaugural congress, we were tasked with the important responsibility of constructing our policy positions on organisational, socio-economic, international and political matters. This momentous occasion in the history of the South African trade union movement was characterized by vigorous deliberations in commissions that allowed discussions for all delegates.
We took stock of the current environment within which we exist as an organization and appreciated the contradictions that continue to characterize our society.
We, the delegates to this inaugural Congress convened under the theme, “Metalworkers reclaiming their rightful place and building unity in the broader working class struggle” acknowledge that we have a cardinal role to play in the country as we pursue a more radical second phase of our transition.
We declare that we will build our union as a united, democratic and worker controlled organisation committed to the principles of our constitution, including democratic centralism in the federation and our own organisation.
As guided by our theme, we appreciate that one of our key tasks will be to forge unity amongst metalworkers and be their first line of defense against exploitative employers. We remain inspired by the stalwarts of the broader mass democratic movement who came before us and laid the foundation for us to continue with the struggle to emancipate the working class.
As we mark the 60th anniversary of the Freedom Charter, we note that our country has made significant positive strides since the attainment of our freedom. Whilst progress has been made, there are still persistent challenges confronting us as the workers in particular. We firmly believe that it is only through our unity as the workers that we can continue to wedge a relentless war against our exploitation.
We note that in recent times, the federation has been exposed to an unprecedented wave of counter-revolutionary elements hell bent on destroying it from within. These elements are characterized by gross organizational ill-discipline and they have been attempting to undermine our unity utilizing all forms of uncomradely tactics.
It is against this background that we commit ourselves to ensuring that our federation COSATU remains united and that all metalworkers are mobilized under its umbrella. It is our firm view that 30 years into its existence only COSATU can ensure that the workers of South Africa are defended at all costs and that their interests are advanced unapologetically. We thus wish to reaffirm and pledge our support to the recent organizational decisions that have been taken by its CEC, these include but are not limited to the expulsion of it’s former General Secretary and that of NUMSA.
We further recommit ourselves to strengthening the tripartite alliance as led by the African National Congress. The alliance remains the only viable vehicle to take us to the next phase of the National Democratic Revolution. We will anchor the ideological and political orientation of our union in the best traditions of our trade union movement COSATU united around the ANC-led Alliance to realise the Freedom Charter and the struggle for socialism led by the SACP. We will also ensure that we play our part to support the ANC in the next local government.
Congress further notes that our strategic ally the South African Communist Party will be convening its Special National Congress in the very near future, we wish the Party a successful SNC and believe that it will continue to play its central role as the vanguard party of the working class.
As the delegates to this historic inaugural congress of the new home of the metalworkers we want to further declare as follows:
On international matters:
Our inaugural congress provided us a perfect platform to take stock of the present international situation, in which capitalism remains a dominant system, determining affairs of all humanity across the world. As we welcome the Cuban 5 into our shores, we will promote solidarity actions with all the working peoples of the world who are the object of capitalist exploitation and thrown into misery by its exploitative nature.
It against this backdrop that we want to emphatically condemn the autocratic monarch of King Mswati III whose undemocratic regime curtails political rights and we want to demand the abolition of the Royal decree of 1973 that prohibits free political activity.
We further demand that Mswati must release all political prisoners including the ANC / SACP internationalist Amos Mbedzi and PUDEMO President Comrade Mario Masuku. This must come along with the unbanning of all political parties and the implementation of reforms which will lead to a national consensus in the country.
As the delegates, we want to make it clear that we support support the call from the ANC for South Africa’s withdrawal from the ICC in its current form in support of the establishment of the African Union’s own system to hold African leaders accountable.
On Socio-Economic matters:
We note the resolutions of COSATU on economic transformation, industrial and trade policy and the worker’s bank and the continuous discussions on the National Development Plan (NDP) by various political and non-political organisations.
We thus declare our support for the implementation of the 53rd ANC National Conference resolutions particularly on the economic transformation and we will contribute to the continuous discussions on the NDP.
Congress further notes the electricity price increase which we view as a major blow for the majority of the poor people in South Africa whilst monopoly capital continues to benefit. We call on organized labour and the broader civil society to take stronger responsibility and be actively involved in all energy policy matters.
We also call on COSATU to intensify campaigns against the E-tolling system across the country with a different approach that ensures the unity of the progressive forces as we believe that the government must use other sources of money to maintain roads in the country including all high ways and freeways.
On Organisational matters:
We believe that service to members should be the heart of our union, and based on living conditions of our members we strongly believe that benefits are a necessity. It is our firm view that our organisation should be a home for all metalworkers and that while membership benefits are important, service to members is paramount and we should guard against turning them into our “clients” or spectators. We will thus ensure that our shop stewards and officials are capacitated to be in a position to service our members with distinction and that our branches are functional and vibrant.
As the delegates to this congress we want to emphatically reaffirm our federation’s founding principle of “One industry! One Union!! One Country! One Federation!”
Statement issued by Cedric Gina, LIMUSA General Secretary, June 28 2015
