Ex-Sadtu chief to lead new union

Expelled SA Democratic Teachers Union president Thobile Ntola has joined forces with other disgruntled unionists to form a public-service union to take on some of the affiliates in trade union federation Cosatu.

The new union comes as the National Union of Metalworkers of SA is holding talks with Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, a rival of Cosatu's National Union of Mineworkers.

Yesterday, Ntola announced the formation of the SA Public Service Union, which hopes to target over 1.3million public servants.

Ntola said workers in the public sector needed a united voice and those leaders who had been assigned to them had failed workers by joining the government.

"History tells us that most of the leaders, especially in the federation in the public sector, ultimately land in bureaucracy or parliament ... They think if I am unable to improve the minimum wage for the workers, let me improve the minimum wage for myself," he said.

The new union hopes to cover workers in education, health, the judiciary, administrators, social workers, general workers, academics, safety, security, defence and local government.

The new union will focus on a basic minimum wage for workers in the public sector.

It will be launched in various sectors in the public service in April next year, and aims to attract 100000 members.

Ntola said the new union was inspired by Numsa, but said it was not aligned to any political party.

"We are not aligned to any political party... It does not matter which political party you belong to. We do not care who you vote for.

"The important thing is that we must be united as workers in the public sector and fight for conditions of service."

The new union had already started engaging other unions, in particular those that we re in support of Numsa, he said.

Last month, Cosatu expelled Numsa from the federation, accusing the union of violating its constitution, not supporting its alliance partner the ANC in the last general election, poaching members from affiliates, and withholding its fee from the federation.

The new union's formation comes on the heels of the establishment of the Numsa-inspired United Front , which was launched across the country at the weekend. It has drawn members from political parties, religious organisations, unions and civil society.

Numsa has confirmed that it has been talking to Amcu. "We have been concerned about the unity of workers, including the mining industry," Numsa deputy general secretary Karl Cloete told The Times.

"To that extent, the central committee determined that Numsa national office bearers should be talking to the leadership of Amcu, and that we should be talking around how best we can represent the interests of mineworkers who are in a serious battle for better living standards and a living wage," Cloete said.