700 000-member Satfu to reject tribalism, xenophobia

The newly launched South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) has vowed to adopt a pan-Africanist approach in fighting for the rights of workers on Saturday.

The 700 000-member federation also vowed to reject tribalism and all forms of discrimination, including xenophobia.

Among the principles earmarked for adoption at the Saftu launching congress held at Boksburg on the West Rand, delegates said that the federation’s affiliates would be independent from employers and from political parties but would not be apolitical. The congress started on Friday, and would end on Sunday, with the announcement of its new leadership.

The unions will be worker controlled, democratic, accountable, transparent and tolerant of differences.

The delegates from 24 unions that are affiliated to the federation said the union umbrella body must not only to be socialist-oriented, but also be internationalist in its struggles and pan-Africanist in its approach to the plight of the continent’s workers.

The congress said the work and principles of the federation should be inspired by Leninist-Marxism, while pan-Africanism would be the point of departure. For that reason, it would not turn a blind eye to the plights of workers in other parts of the African continent and the world.

The union body also adopted a new logo with mainly red, black and yellow colours that clearly depict its socialist character.

Saftu’s establishment meant that the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) finally has a new home. Numsa was sidelined after being expelled from its former umbrella federation, Cosatu, for disagreeing with what it saw as the federation’s drift away from its socialist-oriented policies towards neo-liberalism.

At the time, Numsa insisted on worker control in trade unionism and severing of ties with the ruling ANC, which it claimed had adopted neoliberal policies.

Cosatu refused to leave the alliance and instead preferred to sacrifice Numsa, then its largest affiliate.

With its more than 340 000 membership, Numsa is the biggest single trade union in the country.

The metal sector union was central in establishing Saftu in conjunction with another former Cosatu-affiliate Food and Allied Workers Union through a multi-union steering committee led by Zwelinzima Vavi, former Cosatu general secretary.

Last night, the nominations for candidates for the federation’s leadership were processed by the Independent Electoral Commission. Vavi is most likely to be elected as its new general secretary.

– ericn@citizen.co.za