A proposed new labour federation to rival the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) would not be for the lazy, Cosatu’s former general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi warned on Sunday.

"If you are lazy, we do not want you in this federation. Shop stewards who abuse their power and let employers exploit workers can join the sweetheart federation in Pretoria. Those who steal workers' money can go to Pretoria. Sdumo Dlamini and Zuma are waiting for them," he said at a May Day celebration at the Mehlareng Stadium in Tembisa.

Vavi was referring to Cosatu’s Workers' Day event in Pretoria, where President Jacob Zuma spoke.

Vavi said teams would be going from business to business to recruit potential members for the new federation. It would compete with an established Cosatu and aimed to have 186 unions under its umbrella.

Defend workers

Vavi was expelled from Cosatu in March 2015 for bringing it into disrepute and causing divisions by speaking out against the ANC government’s policies and saying it had failed workers. He had since been involved in forming a new union federation to rival Cosatu.

Continuing his crusade against contract workers and labour brokers, which he began when he still led Cosatu, Vavi said businesses would have to account why they had not permanently employed workers.

"If we come to your business and workers say they are still on contract we will demand you employ them permanently. We will defend workers," he said.