adminMarikana — The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) still represents workers at Lonmin, it told workers at a rally in Marikana yesterday.
“We are still a majority in the bargaining unit catering for officials,” said Eric Gcilitshana, the NUM’s chief negotiator at Lonmin.The union was on a recruitment drive after losing its majority status at Lonmin.
“NUM still exists. We lost members in the other unit,” he said.
Gcilitshana claimed workers were being intimidated for wearing NUM T-shirts.
“Our people are killed for wearing red T-shirts. They told us they risked being killed if seen next to us.”
The police and private security guards have been deployed at the stadium.
A group of men, some wrapped in blankets, gathered on a piece of ground near the stadium yesterday afternoon. They were reportedly members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union living in Nkaneng.
“They pretend to watch football, but we know they are spying on us,” said mineworker Annie Melk.
Forty-four people were killed in Marikana last August during strike-related violence at Lonmin. Thirty four of them were shot dead by the police on 16 August. Ten people, including two policemen and two security guards, were killed in the preceding week.
Meanwhile, NUM has stepped up recruitment at Lonmin in Marikana, the union said.
“We started three weeks ago; we have been at all shafts,” said Rustenburg regional organiser Mxhasi Sithethi.
“The recruitment team was met with a lot of intimidation. The NUM believes in coexisting with other unions, we do not understand why this union is behaving in this manner.”
He was referring to the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), which has cut deep into the NUM’s membership at Lonmin to such an extent that it is about to lose its rights as a majority union. — Fin24
Online Reporter