We are challenging Numsa expulsion in court: Jim

The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) is challenging its expulsion from Cosatu in court, general secretary Irvin Jim said on Thursday.

"The numerically dominant faction [in the] central executive committee [CEC] delegates of Cosatu... finally got their wish, they have illegally and irregularly expelled Numsa," he told reporters in Boksburg on Johannesburg's East Rand.

"We have since appealed against this expulsion and we are challenging it in court."

Numsa was expelled from the Congress of SA Trade Unions last month. According to Cosatu's constitution Numsa could appeal its expulsion at the next national congress which was supposed to be held in September next year.

However, Cosatu president Sidumo Dlamini said earlier this week that Cosatu would now hold a special national congress in July.

Jim said Numsa would continue with its court challenge.

"We are determined to reclaim the federation as an independent, democratic, worker-controlled, militant, anti-imperialist and socialist orientated labour federation.

"We are proceeding with challenging the illegal expulsion in court."

Jim was addressing the media following Numsa's four-day central committee (CC) meeting held in Johannesburg this week.

Before Jim started his address Numsa CC delegates chanted "run Sidumo Dlamini, run".

Numsa was expelled for contravening Cosatu's constitution. The expulsion was based on resolutions taken at the metalworkers special congress in December last year where it took the decision not to support the African National Congress in the general elections and for expanding its scope.

Cosatu has called on Numsa to withdraw those resolutions, which it has refused to do.

Despite Numsa's expulsion eight Cosatu affiliates have stood by the union and spoken out against its ousting.

Jim said Numsa's CC welcomed the unions' support.

"We also supported the call of the eight unions to Zwelinzima Vavi to join the campaign. It is his obligation, as the general secretary of Cosatu, to implement the resolutions of the organisation. Our campaigns are 100 percent in support of those resolutions."

Vavi reportedly addressed Numsa's CC on Wednesday.

Numsa had been a strong supporter of Vavi when he was suspended last year for having an affair with a junior Cosatu employee.

The metalworkers union took Cosatu to court to challenge Vavi's suspension, where it was successful. The High Court in Johannesburg overturned Vavi's suspension and he returned to work earlier this year.

An ANC task team has stepped in to help the embattled Cosatu deal with internal friction, the expulsion of Numsa and with disciplinary proceedings between Vavi.

Jim on Thursday however said the ANC government was working against the working class and supporting the interests of "white monopoly capital".

"The ANC/SACP government is now more degenerate and dangerous to the working class than even the government of Thabo Mbeki was," he said.

"The central committee remains extremely appalled by President Jacob Zuma's government..."