Vavi, who has led Cosatu for 16 years, has fought with its leaders over the decision to remove the country’s largest labor union, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, from the federation. Numsa’s dispute with Cosatu was caused by its refusal to support the ruling African National Congress in elections last year, citing policy differences.
In addition to weakening labor union support for the ANC, the expulsion of Vavi, who is allied with Numsa, may increase competition between unions for membership in South Africa. Numsa has said it plans to form its own political movement to challenge the ANC, which it says has not done enough to improve conditions for workers in a country ruled by a white minority until the first all-race elections in 1994.
“We are now looking at a very serious split in Cosatu,” Steven Friedman, director of the Johannesburg-based Centre For The Study of Democracy, said in an interview with the state- owned South African Broadcasting Corp. “It’s now looking inevitable that we will see the formation of a new labor federation that will compete with Cosatu.”
The SABC reported the expulsion earlier.
