The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) says it is going ahead with its national congress in Cape Town despite a court interdict stopping the gathering.
At the weekend Justice Graham Moshoana of the Labour Court granted an interdict stopping NUMSA’s congress scheduled to begin on Tuesday until it met its own rules regarding lifting suspensions of officials to enable them to attend.
However, the NUMSA special central committee met on Tuesday and resolved to appeal against the interdict.
In a statement issued by NUMSA General Secretary Irvin Jim, early Wednesday, the union said it was “informing all its delegates and the country at large that the NUMSA 11th NC is proceeding as planned and in full compliance with the Labour Court’s judgment”.
The special central committee said it carefully studied the judgment and consulted with its lawyers relevant to how it could proceed with its national congress considering the interdict.
“The court does not prevent Numsa from holding the national congress but it says Numsa can do so in line with its own constitution,” said the union.
“At the time of the judgment many of the delegates had already flown to Cape Town to attend the congress and total wasted costs would have amounted to approximately R39 million.
“In addition to the delegates, there are also more than 100 guests from over 50 fraternal unions, federations, social movements, political parties, and other progressive working-class formations.”
NUMSA’s suspended second deputy president, Ruth Ntlokotse, who secured the interdict on Saturday, 23 July 2022, has warned the union will be in contempt of court if it goes ahead with the congress.
