The Congress of South African Trade Unions' central executive committee (CEC) meeting gets under way in Johannesburg on Monday, the first since the axing of its general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.

Vavi was expelled at the trade union federation's last CEC meeting which was held at the end of March.

This was after Vavi boycotted meetings in support of his strongest ally the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), which had been expelled from Cosatu in November.

A group of seven Cosatu affiliate unions has continued to throw its support behind Numsa and Vavi, calling on both to be accepted back into the fold.

Five of the affiliate unions have decided to continue boycotting the CEC.

The unions are: the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu), the South African Football Players Union, the South African State and Allied Workers Union, Public and Allied Workers Union of South African and South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union.

According to its website, the trade union federation has 19 affiliated unions, including the seven supporting Vavi.

Fawu general secretary Katishi Masemola on Monday confirmed that five of the seven unions would not attend the meeting.

He said the unions were focused on the special national congress (SNC).

"Remember, we called for it. But there are two hurdles still to jump in getting to the SNC. The one is the participation of Numsa... and the other is the participation of Mr Vavi," Masemola told News24.

Earlier this month, the High Court in Johannesburg ordered that the congress take place on July 13 and 14, and that Cosatu and its president Sidumo Dlamini must notify Cosatu members of the congress by June 28.

Cosatu has said that the SNC would go ahead without Numsa, because it was no longer an affiliate union.

Numsa has taken Cosatu to court over its expulsion and written a letter to appeal its ousting at the next ordinary national congress.

The union was expelled for resolutions it had taken at its special national congress in December 2013.

These included not supporting the ANC during the general elections and expanding its scope.

Since Numsa's expulsion Cosatu has admitted a new metalworkers' union into the federation, the Liberated Metal Workers Union of South Africa (Limusa).

No rational discussions

Cosatu said it would only allow Numsa back into the fold if it reversed the resolutions which went against the federation's policy. It has been urging metalworkers to join Limusa.

Masemola said his union would not attend the CEC meeting, not even to discuss the SNC, because it felt no rational discussions could be held in the meeting.

"Our experience in the CEC is that there are no rationalised discussions on this matter – that's why we went to court.

"Secondly, the provision of the constitution of Cosatu that calls on the president to convene a special national congress has nothing to do with the central executive committee.

"It's for him [Dlamini] to convene... and an agenda is determined by those who are calling for a special national congress."

Masemola said the unions did not want to be "ambushed" by the CEC and have the meeting decide by default on the agenda for the SNC.

Two of the unions who support the group are attending the CEC meeting.

They are the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) and the Communication Workers Union (CWU).

CWU deputy general secretary Thabo Mogalane said his union had a mandate to attend.

"Our NEC mandated us to come to the CEC (meeting)," he told News24.

However, the CWU was still advocating for Numsa and Vavi to return to Cosatu.

Denosa spokesperson Sibongiseni Delihlazo also confirmed that the nursing union would be at the CEC meeting on Monday.

He said the union was engaging inside and outside Cosatu.

Delihlazo said this was in the interest of unity in the trade union federation.

News24.com