Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) national spokesman Patrick Craven has followed axed general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi out of the trade union federation.

Craven said today at a media briefing called by Vavi and leaders of the seven unions supporting him that he had resigned because the decisions from Monday’s meeting of the Cosatu central executive committee‚ including Vavi’s expulsion‚ were “unfair“.

He becomes the first prominent Cosatu leader to snub the federation in protest at Vavi’s removal by a hostile group in the central executive committee associated with Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini.

“I could not defend the indefensible and I disagreed with the decisions‚” Craven said.

Vavi said that he was considering legal action for the statements Cosatu leaders made about him that “border on defamation and criminal libel“.

He also did not rule out the possibility of challenging his expulsion in court.

He said he had a contract with Cosatu and must get a fair hearing led by an independent chairperson.

He said both the Commission for Conciliation‚ Mediation and Arbitration and the Labour Court would overturn the decision to expel him.