Numsa president Cedric Gina's resignation letter was not sent to the union's national office bearers, deputy general secretary Karl Cloete said on Tuesday.
The letter was sent to the 52 local offices of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), he told reporters in Johannesburg.
"This in itself is a strange way for the former Numsa president to communicate his resignation because organisational protocol dictates that such resignation be communicated to the Numsa general secretary or Numsa deputy president.
"We suspect that this... may have to do with seeking sympathy or mobilising rank and file support to bring divisions through his unexpected resignation," Cloete said.
He said the trade union announced that Gina was no longer Numsa president as he had "removed himself". As a result no individual in Numsa or structure of the union could reinstate him.
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