Here’s how NUM president aims to unify branches and return to ‘glory days’

Describing himself as “a rural boy from Taung” in the North West, two key priorities that veteran trade unionist and newly-elected National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) President Daniel Balepile has set for himself to achieve during his tenure include strengthening unity and growing membership.

Balepile unseated leader Joseph Montisetse in a bruising election contest that saw almost all NUM leadership positions.

NUM membership decline

In a wide-ranging interview about his broad vision for the NUM, Balepile said he was concerned about the decline in membership and would pull out all the stops to regain NUM’s “glory days of being the biggest trade union in the mining sector”.

“We lost plenty of members in 2012 – particularly on the platinum and gold belt. Our aim is to regain the membership that we used to have.

“In early 2000 to 2012, we were the majority union in Rustenburg by far. The potential for us is there – to regain the numbers we used to have.

“It is also my vision to unite the current membership.

“It is up to the leadership to work hard in healing old wounds by uniting union members in a drive to achieve the goals of a common programme of action. Leading a divided union is not good for the organisation or its members.”

Unifying branches

Growth of membership also translated directly into revenue for the union to carry out its programmes, said Balepile.

On how he planned to achieve his vision, he said: “The starting point is unifying regional structures because if they are united, it becomes easy for anyone from headquarters to go to branches.

“Going to branches as a united force and preaching the very same message is important. My strategy will be that of going to regional committees and office-bearers – down to the branches and the shafts.

“I have seen this strategy working in Rustenburg where I served the NUM for several years. Before 2019, nobody believed that Rustenburg would be united.

“How we achieved unity in Rustenburg is something I want cascaded nationally, in my capacity as NUM president.

“If the union, the leadership and membership is united, then we can go out on a recruitment drive to protect the interest of mine workers, energy and construction.”

Wage negotiations

Recent weeks have seen the NUM and the rival Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) uniting in an offensive against Sibanye-Stillwater in wage negotiations for better worker salaries – a development described as “a healthy development for both members of the NUM and Amcu”.

“What is happening between the NUM and Amcu at Sibanye Gold, in fighting for a living wage for workers, is a step in the right direction.

“The NUM and Amcu are fighting for membership. But that does not mean our challenges are not the same, because we both face a common enemy.

“We should allow workers the freedom to choose membership from either union – not fight over it.

“It is only through our programmes and servicing workers that the NUM should be seen as better than Amcu. The NUM’s cooperation with Amcu is very important – unity of the working class.”

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