The National Office Bearers of Numsa, a union that represent 216,000 Metalworkers met on the 18th and 19th August to consider a wide range of issues that affect Numsa members, and had a substantive discussion on matters pertaining to the forthcoming Cosatu National Congress in September. We also considered and had a discussion on the recent press statements attributed to various sources about leadership issues and factions in the leadership of both the Federation and its affiliates.
In this meeting, the NOB’s registered their profound appreciation at the level of the quality of resolutions submitted by Numsa for the Cosatu Congress.
On the National Democratic Revolution, we will submit in the Congress that the programme of action agreed upon in the Ekurhuleni 2 Summit with specific reference to the following areas must be implemented:
a) That the strategic mandate to all organizations in the current phase derives from our commitment to the NDR as enshrined in the Freedom Charter and the Strategy and Tactics documents of the ANC.
b) That this requires the Alliance to co-ordinate its activities and give leadership to social transformation in all spheres of society, including civil society and the state.
c) That the process of policy development and its implementation should be informed on an on-going basis by collective endeavour.
d) That we will call for Congress to reclaim ownership of the ANC so that it becomes a real instrument of people’s power and plays a positive role towards the achievement of a free, just and equal South Africa.
e) That Cosatu and the SACP must do everything in their power to redirect the energy of the state towards a planned economy capable of meeting the needs of the people and the poor, and such a planned economy should not rule out the possibilities for nationalization and redistribution of the country’s vast and enormous material resources.
f) That the task of achieving socialism under the banner of the Alliance is only possible so long as the working class plays a leading and active role in directing the work of the NDR.
On the Alliance:
We will make a call to Congress that we should maintain the tripartite Alliance and that its components should initiate a debate with the ANC towards the build to its Conference in 2007 that it should be restructured to make it an effective tool for social transformation, and such a debate must include the following;
To combat over-centralisation of power and patronage.
To confront and debate ideological differences openly with the Alliance.
To deal with growing class contradictions within the ANC, and including the current accumulation path which is creating a black bourgeoisie and the need to maintain a pro-working class and poor agenda and leadership within the ANC and the Alliance.
To debate a need for a more structured “˜pact’ between the parties with conditions and agreed minimum goals. This should include agreements on deployments and quotas for representation of the different Alliance partners at every level with independent caucuses and the power of recall to ensure accountability.
On the 2015 Plan:
We will call upon Congress to review the extent to which we have been able to implement the 2015 Plan to assert the leadership of the working class in all sights of power, and including targets to arrive at 4 million members. We will ask Congress to discuss and agree on time-frames to unify the trade Federations in our country.
On the perceived political differences in leadership of the Federation
We have noted the recent press reports that suggest that the Congress will be characterized by factions external to the Federation and which, it is alleged, are constituted by the President of the ANC and his Deputy. These press statements have also suggested that the election of leadership in Congress will be on the basis of these external factions wrestling for the control of the political direction of the Federation. It should be noted that past affiliate congresses are also characterized by these unfounded statements that do not derive from the official positions of the unions. In the absence of any controversy towards the Congress, some in the media and within our ranks will find issues to make a congress highly charged and controversial. It is important that we should note the following:
That Numsa distances itself as an organization from any statements that its leadership supports a faction in the Federation or the ANC. In this regard those who make this suggestion have taken it upon themselves impose divisions in the Federation and the Alliance.
We will act and work together with the collective leadership of the federation including its affiliates in this period to ensure that there is maximum unity and focus towards the real and concrete issues that affect the 1.8 million members of COSATU
Secondly, we will go to the Congress to promote unity of the Federation and its Alliance partners
Thirdly, we will elect leadership in the Congress not on the basis of any perceived faction, but on their ability to take the programs of the Federation forward to 2015.
That we call upon leaders in the Federation and its affiliates to desist from making statements that have nothing to do with the unity of workers and the success of the Congress. This call is extended to some of our Alliance partners who have statements that have a potential of fuelling divisions in the Federation.
For the Cosatu Congress to succeed, it is important that the centre should hold together and lead the affiliates.
In the Congress debates, we will fudge over issues where there are differences of opinion and tactics. We will ensure that Congress lives up to the tradition of frank and robust debates on the issues that affect the Federation, its affiliates and its Alliance components. We will work with others to ensure that debates are not conducted in any manner that seeks to promote factionalism.
In conclusion, the test of the Federation, leadership and for all of us as affiliates will be to rise above the petty squabbles in the Congress and to focus on issues of substance and theory. We will have to ensure that Congress among others debate the State of Cosatu unions, the extent to which affiliates provide quality service to members in the form of collective bargaining and negotiating other benefits. In addition to these matters, Congress will have to re-define its relationship with the Alliance. These are most important tasks of the Congress that it must discuss above everything else.
Issued by Numsa General Secretary Silumko Nondwangu