Fawu’s decision to defy Cosatu a ‘principled stand’ - Vavi

The former secretary general of Cosatu‚ Zwelinzima Vavi‚ says Fawu ‘s decision to defy the federation by inviting him to address its congress was a principled stand.

Vavi told TMG Digital that the decision to expel him and the National Union of Metalworkers from Cosatu was inspired by a faction aligned to President Jacob Zuma in the ANC and the SACP.

“Fawu took a principled stance to defy the bureaucratic Cosatu CEC (central executive committee)‚ to do something never done anywhere else in the world‚ that is to dismiss 340‚000 now 378‚000 workers from its ranks for purely political reasons to satisfy Zuma faction in the ANC and SACP.”

He said Fawu regarded him as the last democratically-elected secretary general of Cosatu.

“All others will never have an honour of being elected in a congress where no worker has been purged for disagreeing with the majority political view‚” he said.

In its message of support at the Fawu congress‚ Numsa’s general secretary Irvin Jim expressed his union’s gratitude to Fawu for its solidarity when the union (Numsa) was expelled from Cosatu.

“We were deeply impressed with your heroic‚ if ultimately unsuccessful‚ attempts to reverse that decision at the two Cosatu congresses in 2015.

“Numsa is now convinced that workers now urgently need a new independent‚ militant workers’ federation and a revolutionary‚ socialist workers’ party.

“Workers are impatient to replace the now discredited Cosatu. Numerous new breakaway unions have been formed and we are working with them in a Steering Committee for a new federation. I am sure that this will be a major topic for your congress to debate.”