NUM Members Return to Surface at Limpopo Mine, But Strike Continues
BY KARL GERNETZKY
OCTOBER 27 2015, 13:10
THE National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Tuesday that 500 of its members who staged a five-day underground sit-in at ASA Metals’ Dilokong mine in Limpopo have returned to the surface.
They returned to the surface early on Tuesday, but will continue to strike as they demand both the removal of the company’s human resources manager and the withdrawal of charges against local NUM officials, the union said.
The NUM downed tools last Thursday at the chromium mine and accused the company of suspending and dismissing the union’s officials on "spurious grounds".
NUM North East region deputy secretary Phillip Mankga said on Tuesday that the company and union had agreed to deal with the suspensions and dismissal through the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.
The issue dates back to March, when the NUM branch chairman was suspended from work. He was then dismissed, despite agreement with the company, on a different sanction. Mr Mankga said six weeks ago the NUM deputy secretary in the region was suspended without charges being levelled against him. Five days ago the company served a notice of intention to suspend the branch secretary, precipitating the strike, he said.
ASA Metals could not immediately be reached for comment.
The NUM is also demanding that the company commit to a date for an employee share ownership plan and is asking for additional workplace rights for underground safety representatives. The union alleged that the company was charging workers who raised concerns.
Mr Mankga said the share ownership issue was an outstanding matter of compliance with the company’s social plan and the NUM was demanding a date be set for a joint meeting between the union, the company and the Department of Mineral Resources.
SACP supports mineworkers strike for their share of value added in production
27 October 2015
The South African Communist Party (SACP) expresses its message of working class solidarity with workers, the majority of whom being members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) who have been on a strike action at ASA Dilokong mine near Burgersfort in Limpopo. The workers have been underground for about five days and came out in the early hours of this morning. According to the local leadership of the NUM, the company did not even bother to implement health and safety procedures, including routine medical examination, when the workers came out of the underground this morning.
The workers have embarked on the underground strike action in protest against what the NUM characterised as ASA Dilokong's mine union bashing agenda. They are also demanding that the company commit date to declare Employee Share Ownership Program. The mineral resources of our country belong to, and the state serves as the custodian on behalf of, all the people. It is the workers, however, who add value to the minerals during production. Their demand is therefore legitimate. It is essentially about rolling back the regime of capitalist exploitation in terms of which the exploiters alone appropriate that entire value, whose fully developed shape is in the form of money, and make it their private wealth!
It is also unacceptable that the mines in that area and commercial farmers alone enjoy the lion's share of other resources such as water to which local communities do not have access and are languishing in high levels of unemployment and poverty. The SACP is calling on its structures and members to support the strike by the workers as it unfolds and to link it with community struggles for water, employment and beneficiation to develop industrial production as well as the area.
For General Enquiries about SACP Statements
Contact:
Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo: National Spokesperson, Head of Communications
Mobile: 082 9200 308
Office: 011 339 3621/2
Twitter: SACP1921
Facebook Page: South African Communist Party
SACP Ustream TV Channel: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/sacp-tv
OCTOBER 27 2015, 13:10
THE National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Tuesday that 500 of its members who staged a five-day underground sit-in at ASA Metals’ Dilokong mine in Limpopo have returned to the surface.
They returned to the surface early on Tuesday, but will continue to strike as they demand both the removal of the company’s human resources manager and the withdrawal of charges against local NUM officials, the union said.
The NUM downed tools last Thursday at the chromium mine and accused the company of suspending and dismissing the union’s officials on "spurious grounds".
NUM North East region deputy secretary Phillip Mankga said on Tuesday that the company and union had agreed to deal with the suspensions and dismissal through the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.
The issue dates back to March, when the NUM branch chairman was suspended from work. He was then dismissed, despite agreement with the company, on a different sanction. Mr Mankga said six weeks ago the NUM deputy secretary in the region was suspended without charges being levelled against him. Five days ago the company served a notice of intention to suspend the branch secretary, precipitating the strike, he said.
ASA Metals could not immediately be reached for comment.
The NUM is also demanding that the company commit to a date for an employee share ownership plan and is asking for additional workplace rights for underground safety representatives. The union alleged that the company was charging workers who raised concerns.
Mr Mankga said the share ownership issue was an outstanding matter of compliance with the company’s social plan and the NUM was demanding a date be set for a joint meeting between the union, the company and the Department of Mineral Resources.
SACP supports mineworkers strike for their share of value added in production
27 October 2015
The South African Communist Party (SACP) expresses its message of working class solidarity with workers, the majority of whom being members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) who have been on a strike action at ASA Dilokong mine near Burgersfort in Limpopo. The workers have been underground for about five days and came out in the early hours of this morning. According to the local leadership of the NUM, the company did not even bother to implement health and safety procedures, including routine medical examination, when the workers came out of the underground this morning.
The workers have embarked on the underground strike action in protest against what the NUM characterised as ASA Dilokong's mine union bashing agenda. They are also demanding that the company commit date to declare Employee Share Ownership Program. The mineral resources of our country belong to, and the state serves as the custodian on behalf of, all the people. It is the workers, however, who add value to the minerals during production. Their demand is therefore legitimate. It is essentially about rolling back the regime of capitalist exploitation in terms of which the exploiters alone appropriate that entire value, whose fully developed shape is in the form of money, and make it their private wealth!
It is also unacceptable that the mines in that area and commercial farmers alone enjoy the lion's share of other resources such as water to which local communities do not have access and are languishing in high levels of unemployment and poverty. The SACP is calling on its structures and members to support the strike by the workers as it unfolds and to link it with community struggles for water, employment and beneficiation to develop industrial production as well as the area.
For General Enquiries about SACP Statements
Contact:
Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo: National Spokesperson, Head of Communications
Mobile: 082 9200 308
Office: 011 339 3621/2
Twitter: SACP1921
Facebook Page: South African Communist Party
SACP Ustream TV Channel: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/sacp-tv
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