The situation was reported by the USL provincial council, which promised to convene an extraordinary conference to decide on the suspension of its membership in the UNTA-CS due to the stance of the Confederation's current secretary-general, José Joaquim Laurindo.
According to the USL, the UNTA-CS secretary-general "arrogates" the right to convene an extraordinary provincial conference, the USL's highest body, to dismiss the current leadership of the capital's unions, in violation of the USL and UNTA-CS statutes.
Moreira Julante, a member of the USL provincial council, also accused José Joaquim Laurindo of attempting to manipulate the USL members to "consummate a statutory coup," seeking to rid himself of the current USL leadership, as he is perceived as "lacking transparency and democracy."
The UNTA-CS Secretary-General wants to transform the organization into a one-man confederation, "removing all troublesome members simply because they question his management actions," he said.
José Joaquim Laurindo reportedly called an extraordinary provincial conference to remove members of the USL board of directors, who filed a criminal complaint in court alleging mismanagement of the Confederation, as USL leaders said.
They also accuse the UNTA-CS Secretary-General of abuse of power and intimidation of the USL board and therefore urge board members "not to allow themselves to be manipulated or to accept any of his instructions."
The leader of UNTA-CS, the organization to which the USL is affiliated, "has no authority to call a provincial conference, whether ordinary or extraordinary, nor to suspend or promote its members," Moreira Julante noted.
The USL leadership also assured that it will convene an extraordinary provincial conference to deliberate on the suspension of its membership in the UNTA-CS "until the ongoing criminal proceedings are clarified, as well as the restoration of all rights of its members expelled from the UNTA."
Lusa attempted to contact José Joaquim Laurindo, but has not yet received a response.
