"The federation says that there is no trade union leader in the NEC, but more than 10 Cabinet ministers have had their backgrounds in this federation," African National Congress secretary general Gwede Mantashe said at the Congress of SA Trade Unions' 11th congress in Midrand.

"Once they get a responsibility in government, the federation seems to disown them. It is like a revolving door... [for members] every five years."

Earlier, while presenting the political report, Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said the ANC needed to have trade unionists in its NEC.

"Today there is not a single serving trade unionist that is serving on [the ANC's NEC]... We can't have an NEC that does not have a trade unionist," he said.

"We want to see an ANC that reflects society."

Mantashe also criticised the federation for reducing its definition of the "working class" to trade union members.

"It cannot be correct for it [the ANC] to be biased to the trade unions and not the working class," he said.

Mantashe said the political report placed Cosatu outside the movement that it said was in crisis.

"It should articulate its position as... being part of the movement."

Vavi said earlier that the ANC was "increasingly wracked by factionalism, patronage and corruption".

"This is a crisis in state... which translates into an institutionalised crisis in respect of service delivery," he said.

Mantashe said the report was "trying to drive a wedge between the ANC and its members" by saying that it was preoccupied with the second phase of its transition.

He said the ANC was under attack from disillusioned members of the movement and Cosatu often aligned itself with the views of those members.