A power struggle has gripped the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) as some members are demanding the removal of some of the leaders, including NUMSA president Andrew Chirwa and general secretary Irvin Jim.
The rival factions are fighting for control of the labour union, with the dispute escalating ahead of the union’s upcoming 12th National Congress to be held at the end of the month.
Nkosinathi Makhanya NUMSA’s Regional Chairperson in Mpumalanga says they are suffering from what one can call as a self-made crisis.
“Members are not in crisis per se, because they’ve got a constitution that protects them as a bible. Members are confronted with a very arrogant leadership that does not want to respect decisions of the workers, and the majority that does not want to respect the structures of the union, including the constitution. So, this crisis that is perpetuated through the public domain- it is self-made by this current leadership; it does not want to allow democratic process to prevail.”
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