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TWO Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) mines were shut when 5 600 workers embarked on an unprotected strike on Sunday night that deepened yesterday morning to back demands for the reinstatement of 19 shop stewards suspended in an earlier industrial action. The Thembelani and Khuseleka mines were shut by the stoppage, said Amplats corporate communications manager Bongeka Lwana.
The demands from those engaged in the strike are for the reversal of the suspension of 19 shop stewards belonging to the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), the largest union within the world’s leading platinum producer. Amcu has displaced the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) as the leading union on the platinum mines.
The workers are also demanding an end to the section 189 process under the Labour Relations Act that Amplats has started to lay off up to 6 000 workers, mothball one shaft and merge three other shafts it had originally planned to shut. Amplats said in January it would cut up to 14 000 jobs and suspend four shafts, incurring the wrath of the government, the ruling African National Congress and labour.
The Khuseleka 1 shaft is the one to be mothballed and it is the mine that was affected by the strike yesterday.
The strikers are demanding a start to wage talks.
“Lastly, they are also demanding that the company should provide a guarantee that NUM will not be allowed to return to the operations,” Ms Lwana said.
“Anglo American Platinum would like to urge all employees and their union representatives to live by the spirit of the deputy president’s peace and stability framework and to promote the peaceful co-existence of all the recognised unions at our operations,” she said.
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe has been tasked by President Jacob Zuma to help restore peace and stability to the mining sector. Amcu refused to sign an agreement that binds all stakeholders — the government, mining companies and labour — to achieve these aims.
It has said it needs a mandate from its members to sign the deal. It did present a list of conditions at last week’s talks and signing ceremony, but Mr Motlanthe said the process could not be held up by this last-minute development and all the other parties signed the document.
Four unions, including Amcu and the NUM, were meeting the Chamber of Mines yesterday to thrash out a protocol or “rules of engagement” ahead of Thursday’s gold sector wage talks. Sources said the talks had been delayed because of the late arrival of Amcu officials.
Wage increase demands for entry-level workers range between 60 percent and 100 percent. A number of CEOs of the seven gold companies represented at the talks have said double-digit wage increases would be difficult to grant because of the low gold price and soaring costs, which have eroded profits.
Meanwhile, Metrobus workers started an indefinite strike yesterday morning demanding the suspension of the bus service’s acting managing director, the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) said.
“We are picketing just in front of the [Metrobus] headquarters,” said Samwu chairperson at Metrobus, Phanuel Tshikovha.
The union demanded that acting managing director Lawrence Maqekoane be suspended pending an investigation into allegations levelled against him.
Metrobus general manager of human resources Ranti Mahlabana said in a statement that only around 44 percent of the service’s buses were running yesterday morning.
He said the dispute related to the recruitment of staff through Adecco recruitment services, which the union saw as a violation of a 2008 agreement on permanent staff.
Mahlabana said Samwu wanted Maqekoane to be investigated and charged with violating the disciplinary code and the organisational rights agreement.
Metrobus received notice of the union’s intention to strike on June 24, after a conciliation process at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.
Mahlabana said that last week there were further attempts to engage with the union.
“During these sessions, marked progress was made in a number of areas and, to this end, this was an agreement on all aspects of the dispute raised by Samwu.”
It was also communicated to the union that there were existing procedures in place to address their concerns and that the committee of the Metrobus board were willing to appoint an independent professional to investigate the matter.
“It was unfortunate that Samwu accepted all the resolutions… on condition that [Maqekoane] be suspended with immediate effect.”
Mahlabana said this demand was seen as unfair and not in line with the Labour Relations Act.
“The board is of the view that the allegations raised by Samwu are without basis and therefore cannot be acted upon.”
Metrobus management and the board would continue engaging with Samwu in an attempt to bring “this unnecessary industrial action to an end”.
Tshikovha said the union would strike indefinitely until a forensic investigation into the concerns was established. The union also wanted Metrobus to engage with employees about the matter.
Tshikovha said on Saturday that the union wanted Maqekoane to be removed from the offices because they were concerned that otherwise he could possibly manipulate the investigation.— Business Day-Sapa
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