The National Union of Metalworkers (Numsa) Central Committee has stripped General Secretary Irvin Jim, President Andrew Chirwa and other national office bearers of their powers ahead of the union’s congress on November 30.

The committee has accused the leaders of abandoning their duties by cancelling and failing to attend meetings.

The development marks a significant internal crisis at Numsa, which represents thousands of workers in the metal and engineering sectors.

International Labour Research and Information Group’s Education Officer Dr Dale McKinley says the move could signal the end of Jim’s long leadership of the union, although legal challenges are likely.

McKinley says, “This saga has been going on for a long time. It’s involved a lot of allegations back and forth about Irvin Jim’s conduct, about money issues. So there’s a lot of things there that are sort of at the sort of coalface of this confrontation.”

“My sense is that there were seven of the nine regions of Numsa that were at the Central Committee. So that’s the vast majority of its membership made this decision.”

He adds, “So yeah, it seems to me as the time may be up for Irvin Jim and Chirwa and the others at this stage, but I’m sure there’s going to be a legal battle and this is not the end of the story right yet.”

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