Nine trade unions loyal to expelled Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi are on Wednesday expected to brief media on the trade union federation’s special national congress.

The “Nine Plus Unions” previously said they would not accept Cosatu becoming an appendage to the ruling ANC. They felt Cosatu’s struggle for workers’ rights was being sidelined and that not enough was being done to fight corruption.

In a statement on June 10, they said they would decide whether or not to “commit to the congress”, as it would be only used to maintain the status quo.

They said Cosatu’s second deputy president Zingiswa Losi was unelected and unconstitutionally appointed, a sign that “the rot has set in”.

On June 9, the High Court in Johannesburg dismissed Numsa’s application to be declared an affiliate of Cosatu. This meant it could not attend the special national congress.

Numsa was expelled from Cosatu in November last year, for its decision not to support the ANC in the general elections held earlier that year, in violation of Cosatu’s constitution.

On May 11, the High Court in Pretoria ordered the trade union federation to hold the special national congress. It will take place on July 13 and 14. Numsa and other unions had brought the court application.

The 9 unions are unhappy that Numsa and Vavi will not be part of the congress to state their cases and appeal their expulsions.

Cosatu has said they could so at a congress in November.

Vavi was expelled from Cosatu at the end of March, following his boycott of the trade union federation’s meetings. He was initially placed on suspension for having an affair with a junior employee.

He said in May he would not appeal his expulsion until Cosatu held a “legitimate congress” involving all those that had been “purged” from the organisation.

The 9 unions are the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu), the SA Catering Commercial and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu), the Public and Allied Workers Union of SA (Pawusa), the South African State and Allied Workers Union (Sasawu), the Communication Workers Union (CWU), the SA Football Players Union (Safpu), the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), the Democratic Nursing Union (Denosa) and the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu). News24