COSATU Central Executive Committee Statement, 9 April 2014 Special Meeting, 8 April 2014 The Congress of South African Trade Unions held a special meeting of its Central Executive Committee (CEC) on 8 April 2014, attended by all its national office bearers, affiliated unions and regional structures. The meeting was convened against a backdrop of increasing tension with the federation. The proposed agenda included a number of urgent issues arising from previous CEC discussions, including NUMSA’s response to COSATU on why it should not be suspended or expelled, the facilitated process on the unity and cohesion of the Federation by Charles Nupen and Petros Mashishi, the disciplinary processes against the COSATU General Secretary, and the COSATU President’s report on the request of the Special National Congress. Before dealing with these items however, the meeting was adjourned to hear an address by the Deputy President of the African National Congress (ANC), Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa, who was accompanied by the ANC Deputy Secretary-General, Jessie Duarte. He is heading an ANC task team which was set up to assist COSATU resolve its internal problems. The team had already met the COSATU NOBs and spoken to as many individual union leaders as possible. The Deputy President hoped that the task team could broker an agreement which would lead to a successful resolution to the federation’s problems and achieve an outcome which would preserve the unity and integrity of the workers’ movement. He drew parallels with an ANC task team, which is trying to resolve conflicts within the ruling party in South Sudan, which is being torn apart by factional fighting. The first task was to convince all role-players that COSATU’s current problems are resolvable, and then to work diligently together to resolve them. Compromises will have to be made by all those concerned and modalities would have to be agreed. The task team had recommended that this special CEC be postponed, to give time for the ANC to facilitate a process which can achieve the agreed outcomes, but the COSATU NOBs could not agree to this without consulting the affiliates, and it was agreed that the ANC Deputy President should address the CEC meeting to explain what the task team was proposing. The first stage was for all comrades to agree to a ‘ceasefire’, and stop doing anything that would militate against the preservation of unity. Then all comrades would need to persuade and convince one another to reach agreement on issues. It would not in any way interfere with the unions’ normal campaigns and activities, including May Day rallies, though it could affect what is said at the rallies. The same principles should apply to members of all alliance partners. The timescale for completing the process should be no more than one month. The ANC Deputy President emphasised that this would be “a COSATU-owned process”. The federation therefore must correct a false report in The Times on 9 April 2014 that “COSATU has effectively handed over control of its affairs to alliance partner the ANC,” which is untrue. The CEC reconvened and discussed the ANC proposal. After discussion it was agreed to accept the ANC’s proposals and for the NOBs to discuss the modalities of the process. It was therefore agreed not to discuss any of the remaining items on the CEC agenda, and adjourn the meeting for 14 days. The meeting agreed that all affiliates, provincial structures and individual comrades must fully comply with the principles underlying the process and cease making statements or speeches which contradict each other, desist from any ill-disciplined activities or events, and refrain from making comments which are divisive or disruptive and could worsen the current problems facing the federation. The CEC also discussed the status of the COSATU 2nd Deputy President, Zingiswa Losi, and agreed that she will remain in her position until the CEC receives a report on the matter. Patrick Craven (National Spokesperson) Congress of South African Trade Unions
Posted on: Wed, 09 Apr 2014 12:37:30 +0000
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