Workers must not allow themselves to be used as pawns by powerful politicians to undermine the Constitution, axed Cosatu leader Willie Madisha told the national convention in Johannesburg on Saturday.

"Workers, comrades, must refuse to be used to undermine the rule of law by being used to allow the politically powerful to defy justice whilst the ordinary are forced to go through that route, whether they like it or not," he said.

He said apart from the churches, labour was the greatest element in South Africa and therefore its voice must be heard in order to change society forever.

"In our quest to achieve that, we must recommit ourselves to the revival of the true and intensely democratic decisions of the modern democratic movement, which is the legacy we must cherish and build upon."

Madisha said workers — who formed part of the ownership of the democratic movement — must take decisions for their lives, both present and future.

Coup d'etats

He said workers were being used to undermine the Constitution by allowing themselves to be involved in coup d'etats "such as dismissing the country's president and for other wrong political reasons".

Madisha said a petition would be sent out countrywide in which the workers would demand that the rule of law and equality before the law be respected.

The petition would also demand that workers' resources should no longer be used to protect the guilty — no matter how powerful they were — and that all decisions taken on behalf of workers should be made by the workers themselves.

Madisha also called on all the delegates present at the convention to join him in marching to Bloemfontein for the anticipated launch of the new party.

"The majority of us here gathered are marching out of the ANC — we call on you to do that with enthusiasm, with vigour, with every strength you have in your veins... on 16 December lets march to Bloemfontein.

Sapa