Cosatu is under threat, says Vavi
Image by: ELIZABETH SEJAKE
Cosatu secretary-general Zwelinzima Vavi has warned that splinter unions, fat-cat shop stewards and corrupt leaders threaten to weaken the federation and betray workers.
Speaking at Cosatu's Western Cape congress in Bellville yesterday, Vavi said members needed to be vigilant in the face of forces bent on destroying the organisation's reputation.
"Consistently we have to wage battles to defend ourselves and the working class in general ... with the growing number of splinter groups."
In reference to the recent resignation of SA Transport Workers Union president Ephraim Mphahlele, Vavi said Mphahlele had made all manner of false allegations of financial irregularities in the union.
He also claimed there was an assassination plot against him. Mphahlele resigned early this month to join splinter group, the National Transport Allied Workers Union.
Vavi said that there were many weaknesses within the federation, including the presence of shop stewards who were using their positions purely for financial gain .
He said that it was frightening that 10% of workers alleged that they had witnessed corruption.
"We must not make the mistake of thinking Cosatu and the unions are immune from these battles," he said.
Vavi said that the power of the unions was being undermined by a lack of focus and thateducation in the unions was no longer on the scale that it had been in the past.
Union representatives were not carefully selected.
"Only 6% of workers know the president and general secretary of their unions. "
Vavi lashed out at political parties, ministers and cabinet officials who "falsely" claimed solidarity with the plight of workers.
"These [people] have never joined us for a moment [to improve labourers' working condition," he said.
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Cosatu is under threat, says Vavi
For Commenters Consideration | Please stick to the subject matterCOMMENTS [11]
Daffy
Posted 297 days agoa wound left to fester will surely cause implications for amputation. surely these allegantions are not new, they were kown to you and your ANC allainces but becasue the right people were benefiting it was made out to be allegations. as a Xhosa you will understand the saying UMQOLO UVELILE
AaronGumede
Posted 297 days agoi_stub_born
Posted 297 days agoVavi and the COSATU-NUMSA-SACP axis have not started to think why would there be 'growing splinter groups'.........
I am not aware of any consideration whatsoever, these leeches have given about the Aurora miners unpaid for three years by their "white" owners Khubuluse (poor enough to give a Maserati car to his third fiancee as a gift), and Mandela's grandson (poor enough to stop paying his Merc quotes)..........
If Frans Baleni reputedly earns over 100000 bucks monthly, how much is Vavi's REAL salary?????........
MicaParis
Posted 297 days agoClass inequalities still perpetuate a master-servitude configuration in the economy. We need an ascending shift from managing our Government and institution on lies and deceit to an honest administration which play strictly by the rules.
Fooling each other through a system of collective cadreship self enrichment will not take us anywhere as this rotten folklore cannot be sustainable leading up to the future.
For how long are we going to tolerate running our Government and institution through deliberate hypocritical purpose and deceive?
Is an embarrassing blatant truth that Unionist are joining Unions to use them as a conveyor belt to access top Government posts and tenders since Branch Politics can be a heavy journey into the political ''green lights'' elites group, instead of taking care of workers' interests Unionists gear themselves up to be Ministers and Directors General in Government, this is a sacrilege!
We need a ''dog'' through the legislation that can ''bark''/compel ''our'' beloved ANC comrades to do their work, a ''legislation'' will be a perfect temporary measure where Union interests can be distinctly separated from Government interests, until we transform our ANC to take hit of economic interests of the poor. A person cannot serve two masters simultaneously.
nkosipeter
Posted 297 days agoAfter all 1% of workers income is serious money.
Workers are foolish to contribute 1% of their income to a Political movement that does nothing for them.
Cosatu is not a Labour movement.
Be aware, be very aware.
m1si2zi3nzo4
Posted 297 days agoMike123
Posted 297 days agonkosipeter
Vavi does nothing for the workers and is their worst employer.
Cosatu is a leech.
QPCLCD308
Posted 296 days agoIf ANC is holding COSATU with ''genitalia'' (tenders and top Government posts) than surely the people should know better that they fall at the last Government drawer as far as recognition and care is concerned.
Why continue voting for this ANC leeches while they do not even dream of you in their luxury sleep!?? Africans are idiots, all who vote for these cANCer leeches are IDIOTS!
helum2
Posted 296 days agom1si2zi3nzo4
Posted 296 days ago"The fallacy is to believe that under a dictatorial government you can be free inside. Quite a number of people console themselves with this thought, now that totalitarianism in one form or another is visibly on the up-grade in every part of the world. Out in the street the loudspeakers bellow, the flags flutter from the rooftops, the police with their tommy-guns prowl to and fro, the face of the Leader, four feet wide, glares from every hoarding; but up in the attics the secret enemies of the regime can record their thoughts in perfect freedom — that is the idea, more or less. Tribune (1944)
and the;
"fact that as soon as a working man gets an official post in the Trade Union or goes into Labour politics, he becomes middle-class whether he will or no. ie. by fighting against the bourgeoisie he becomes a bourgeois. The fact is that you cannot help living in the manner appropriate and developing the ideology appropriate to your income - (1936)
What's more important is that no one can fake life for too long. All people do is to wait for him to become himself, and catch him.