Leaders’ battle could eat into Fawu membership
General secretary Katishi Masemola vows to defy his suspension by union president Atwell Nazo
The bruising battle for control of the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) could spur rival unions to eat into its 126,000-strong membership. Fawu was among the first former Cosatu affiliates to switch to the SA Federation of Trade Unions in 2017. It recruits in the farming, fast food, beverage, fishing, wholesale and retail, and hospitality sectors. The fallout was heightened by the suspension of Fawu general secretary Katishi Masemola by its president, Atwell Nazo, in April. Nazo cited allegations of policy transgressions for the suspension. At issue are write-offs in the Basebenzi Investment Group, Fawu’s investment wing, in which Masemola is the director and former acting CEO. Nazo told Business Day that there was no bad blood between him and Masemola. “Whether I have a right or no right to suspend him is his opinion. This issue is an organisational matter which I don’t want to ventilate in public,” he said. He said Fawu lost about R19.2m over a number of years, which led ...
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