SAFTU General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has written to Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth requesting her to clarify her facilitation engagement between the Registrar of Labour Relations, the Public Servants Association (PSA) and FEDUSA regarding possible deregistration of PSA.
Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Media
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) has expressed alarm over the Department of Employment and Labour's involvement in the statutory duties of the Registrar of Labour Relations regarding the possible deregistration of the Public Servants Association (PSA).
This comes after the Minister of Employment and Labour, Nomakhosazana Meth, recently convened a facilitation engagement between the Registrar of Labour Relations, the department and trade union representatives, following the registrar’s formal notice of intention to deregister PSA.
The Registrar of Labour Relations gazetted an intention to cancel the registration of the PSA citing failures to submit audited financial statements, maintain compliant membership records, and adhere to sections 95, 98, 99, and 100 of the Labour Relations Act.
The PSA has 60 days to submit written representations to challenge the deregistration. The union maintains that it submitted its amended constitution as directed by a Labour Appeal Court judgment and is prepared to challenge the cancellation in court.
The meeting was held at the specific request of the Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) and the PSA, amid widespread public confusion regarding the basis and procedural course of the registrar's intended action.
Following the announcement, SAFTU has since written to Meth requesting clarification regarding the facilitation of discussions between the registrar, PSA and the FEDUSA.
In the letter, dated July 3, 2026, the SAFTU stated that its concern relates to the principles of consistency, equality before the law and the independence of the Registrar of Labour Relations.
The letter is signed by SAFTU’s general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.
“Your statement correctly emphasises that your role was "purely facilitative" and that you did not interfere with the Registrar's statutory functions. We accept that assurance. However, your statement also indicates that, following your intervention, the registrar agreed to assist the PSA in addressing its compliance challenges and that a process has been established to seek an administrative solution,” said Vavi in the letter, adding that this development inevitably raises important questions for the broader trade union movement.
Vavi requested Meth to provide information regarding:
- Under what legal authority was this facilitation process convened?
- What criteria were applied in determining that the PSA matter warranted ministerial facilitation?
- Does this represent a process that is now available to every trade union facing suspension or deregistration under the Labour Relations Act?
- Will trade unions that have previously been deregistered also be afforded an opportunity to approach you to facilitate similar engagements with the registrar?
- If so, would you be prepared to receive representations from SAFTU regarding affiliates and other unions that have been deregistered or are currently facing deregistration so that they may benefit from the same opportunity for engagement?
Labour ministerial spokesperson Thobeka Magcai said although SAFTU is correct to assert that all trade unions should benefit equally from the opportunity to resolve compliance matters, the Minister’s direct facilitation would only be considered in the most exceptional circumstances, where the potential harm to workers is demonstrably severe and parties have already shown a genuine commitment to resolving their issues through the prescribed channels.
“The facilitation in the PSA matter was an exceptional step, not a general policy shift. It was informed by the specific facts of the case, including the extensive public confusion and the significant potential impact on the thousands of public servants represented by the PSA.
The Minister’s willingness to facilitate was an acknowledgement of the severe repercussions that workers would have suffered had the matter proceeded without the parties first exhausting all avenues of engagement. This was a concession to the human impact, not a circumvention of legal processes,” she said.
However, in a statement released last week, Meth said her role in this process was purely facilitative, and not to interfere with registrar’s statutory functions, but to ensure that all parties are heard and that dialogue remains the cornerstone of our labour relations.
“This intervention is not about circumventing the law; it is about using social dialogue to clear up misunderstandings and find practical, consensual solutions. A stable and cooperative labour market benefits every worker and employer in South Africa,” said Meth, who added that both the registrar, FEDUSA and PSA leadership agreed to hold further follow-up meetings to chart a clear way forward and outline tangible steps to resolve the current impasse.
Vavi said although SAFTU supports the use of ministerial mediation to help unions fix compliance problems before their workers forfeit their rights, it is vital that this assistance is provided fairly and uniformly to all trade unions, regardless of their size or federation membership.
“If similar opportunities are available only to selected organisations, legitimate concerns may arise regarding equal treatment, administrative fairness and public confidence in the independence of the registrar,” he said.