JOHANNESBURG - "We need a federation that behaves as a strong national centre," Majola told delegates at Cosatu's 11th national congress in Midrand, Johannesburg.

"[Cosatu] structures have no authority over [its] affiliates."

He said the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) central executive committee had failed to implement decisions taken at meetings.

There were currently no local structures and provincial structures were not strong enough.

Majola used the strike by mineworkers at the Lonmin platinum mine in Marikana, North West as an example.

He said Cosatu in the province should have stepped in to help the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).

"We need strong provinces and strong locals. Cosatu needs to be the centre of all affiliates," he said.

Majola was speaking during a debate on Cosatu's organisational report on the third day of the congress.

He said there was a fundamental problem in the way Cosatu was run.

This needed to be included in Cosatu's "Lula moment", referring to former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was in office from 2003 to 2011.

Lula's first term was fraught with difficulties, but in his second term, he engineered a dramatic turnaround, improving the living standards of Brazil's working class.

"This Lula moment, or radical phase of the second phase of transition, must include organisational renewal," Majola said.

This weakness needed to be addressed during Cosatu's congress.

On Tuesday, Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi called for South Africa to have its own "Lula moment".