Africa-Press – South-Africa. National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) shop stewards from around the country learned on Wednesday evening that they would effectively be barred from attending the union’s national conference next week.
According to an internal letter dated 20 July 2022, which Fin24 has seen, 26 union shop stewards would be subjected to the union’s disciplinary proceedings. The letter is from Numsa secretary-general, Irvin Jim.
This comes after 31 officials were suspended last week, including the union’s second deputy president, Ruth Ntlokotse. The suspensions and bans come ahead of the conference, set to take place in Cape Town.
Ntlokotse was also elected president of Numsa’s umbrella federation, the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) at its national congress in May, against the wishes of Numsa leaders, according to her.
Suspended Numsa officials head to court to lift sanctions or halt crucial conference
In Wednesday’s letter, Jim said the special central committee (SCC) decided that members who were part of the national union’s delegation to the Saftu national congress should be subjected to an internal disciplinary process for attempting to disrupt that meeting.
“A close examination of individuals who formed part of these disruptions were notably from the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Ekurhuleni, Sedibeng, and Mpumalanga regions.
“The SCC of 11 and 12 July – due to what the SCC regarded as acts of ill-discipline and misconduct that disrupted the congress and embarrassed Numsa’s name – where comrades were protesting the union’s decision to instil disciplinary measures against the five suspended comrades, resolved to take disciplinary action,” said Jim.
Jim said the Numsa delegates acted in “open defiance” of the union’s mandate at the Saftu conference
“Consequently, these comrades are not permitted nor accredited by the SCC to attend the coming Numsa 11th national congress due to their disruptive behaviour as the national union is not prepared to risk the coming … congress with similar disruptions. If the … congress were to collapse, it would be very costly to the union and its members,” Jim said.
Factions, ‘propaganda’ and suspensions: Irvin Jim and Numsa face dissent ahead of conference
Jim called on all regions in putting forward delegations for the Numsa national congress to exclude the banned from forming part of their delegation.
Of the 27 shop stewards being disciplined, 18 were being disciplined for disruptions at the Saftu conference while nine were being disciplined for organising a march in April to protest the Numsa central committee decision to put the union’s Ekurhuleni and Mpumalanga regions under administration.
Ntlokotse has approached the Labour Court in Johannesburg for urgent relief, asking that the court declare her suspension invalid or halt the conference from taking place until the nature of disputes behind recent suspensions at Numsa is investigated and established.
She said in her affidavit that she is looking to contest the position of Numsa president, and is aware that Mac Chavalala, who she defeated to get elected as Saftu president in May, was looking to contest the same position.
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