GIDEON DU PLESSIS: Opportunity for unions to re-emerge as united force

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and union federation Cosatu have dominated the trade union landscape since they were established in the 1980s. However, in the period between 2012 and 2017 these worker organisations began to wane.

The decline started with the Association of Mineworkers & Construction Union (Amcu) poaching members from NUM in the wake of the tragic Marikana killings of 2012, in which more than 40 miners died. 

In 2015 Zwelinzima Vavi was kicked out as Cosatu’s general secretary, while Numsa (the largest trade union in Cosatu) was also expelled from the federation, notably because its political stance was at odds with that of the tripartite alliance at the time.

With Numsa out and NUM on the wane, then ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe warned in a speech delivered at NUM’s 2015 national congress that Cosatu could become a “yellow federation” (focusing on middle-class needs) if it became dominated by public service unions. Soon thereafter Vavi established the trade union federation Saftu (2017) with Numsa as anchor union, forged on Cosatu’s original ideological principles.

Like Vavi, Amcu’s Joseph Mathunjwa was hostile towards his previous employer, NUM, after he was fired by Mantashe — then NUM’s general secretary — in 1999. This was a driving force behind the establishment of Amcu as a rival union. As a result, both Saftu and Amcu have focused on poaching members from Cosatu and NUM on an ongoing basis. 

This has divided and weakened the trade union movement and the working class, and as a result the state as an employer and policymaker could increasingly disregard resistance from Cosatu and the public service trade unions during wage negotiations, and also show disregard for their resistance to certain policy changes. At the same time, the balance of power shifted to the mining companies as they applied a divide-and-rule strategy, taking advantage of the rivalry between NUM and Amcu.

However, a turning point has since been reached and trade union unity has been boosted as a result of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on job security. Workers are now less concerned about the colour of their trade union T-shirt, and joint campaigns to save jobs are being embarked on. On October 7 2020 Cosatu, with the support of Saftu, went on a one-day strike against, among other things, Covid-19 corruption and job losses, with the respective leaders sharing a podium. Since then, the leaders have been less hostile towards each other.

During the 2021/2022 wage negotiations in the gold sector Amcu and NUM buried the hatchet and aligned their wage demands. These two like-minded unions are now on a joint strike at Sibanye-Stillwater and they are holding joint member meetings, organising marches and media conferences together.

Meanwhile, financial irregularities have been uncovered at Numsa’s investment company, reflecting badly on general secretary Irvin Jim. There has been much speculation over who might be behind these revelations, whose timing suggests the motivating force could have been to harm Jim’s chances of being re-elected at Numsa’s national congress scheduled for June.

Shortly after this came to light, Saftu president Mac Chavalala (a Numsa delegate) took steps to suspend Vavi as general secretary for alleged misconduct. Chavalala and three Saftu followers have subsequently themselves been suspended by the Saftu national executive committee.

In this environment it is entirely possible that the heads of the influential and experienced Jim and Vavi could roll at their respective elective congresses, which are due to take place soon. There is also speculation that Numsa could resign from Saftu, especially since it is apparently no longer paying membership dues. This would weaken Saftu tremendously.

Whatever the outcome of the respective leadership elections, Vavi and Jim can proudly look back on their decades of contribution as working-class leaders. Should the current investigations clear them, it may be the right time for them to bid the world of trade unionism farewell and enter the political arena, as many former trade union leaders have done.

If the governing party can accommodate them, the ANC stands to benefit from their experience in the 2024 national election, because the working class prefers to vote for bona fide worker leaders who speak their language and understand their needs. With a bigger support base and former union leaders in their ranks, the ANC staff may also benefit by getting their salaries paid on time.    

NUM’s national congress took place recently and William Mabapa, a former acting general secretary, was elected general secretary. This elective congress was important because NUM is no longer the leading trade union that produced prominent leaders such as Cyril Ramaphosa, Gwede Mantashe and Kgalema Motlanthe. Mabapa and Daniel Balepile, the newly elected president, now have a mandate and duty to restore NUM to its former glory.   

Meanwhile, Amcu’s Mathunjwa is waging court battles to set aside an earlier court ruling that declared his election as president invalid. If Mathunjwa loses in court the current NUM/Amcu collaboration could, as a result of diminished competition for top positions, lead to a formal coalition or an amalgamation of the two, which would bring about a powerful mining trade union. Like Vavi and Jim, Matunjwa will be able to look back with pride on Amcu’s meteoric rise under his leadership, and he will also be a strong candidate to enter the political arena. 

In a more sober development, Cosatu’s elective congress will take place in September, and much work is apparently being done behind the scenes to ensure the current top leadership is re-elected. With Cosatu as the most stable federation it would make sense for the 21 Saftu affiliate unions, including Numsa, to join (or rejoin) Cosatu. 

There is a window of opportunity for ideologically aligned unions and federations in SA to unite the working class and once again become a force  employers, the government and the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) social partners need to take seriously.

• Du Plessis is general secretary of trade union Solidarity.