Numsa suspends strike at three mining companies

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) says wage negotiations with mining companies Triple M, Reagetswe, and Newrak are now set to get underway after calling off their strike.

Numsa said it met with its members who are employed by the three mining companies on Monday.

At least four thousand members affiliated to the union embarked on protest action last Monday to voice their grievances on a number of issues including contract workers and the disparity of earnings between employees.

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Spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said workers decided to suspend the strike at Newrak mining company.

“Our members agreed to suspend the strike at Newrak to allow for talks between the employer and the union to resolve these issues.

“We will be meeting with Newrak on Tuesday the 28th of June. If these talks fail and we do not find each other, we have the right to continue with the strike.

“The strike at Reagetswe and Triple M has been interdicted and therefore strikes at both these companies have been suspended as well and workers have returned to work.

“This week Numsa will be approaching the CCMA head office in Johannesburg to enforce the labour court order, ordering it to conduct verification at Reagetswe,” she said.

Hlubi-Majola said Numsa will also be pursuing the unfair dismissal of 97 members who were fired for participating in the strike this past week.

“Reagetswe dismissed them because they expected that workers would return to work same day for their shifts after the interdict was granted. However, that was impossible to achieve because some of them were out of town when the interdict was granted last week.”

Hlubi-Majola said the issue of organisational rights is a “burning issue” and it was the main reason its members went on strike.

“Contract workers have the right to be represented by a union, especially because they are so deeply exploited. Implats has created an abnormal working environment where the principle of equal pay for work of equal value is violated every day.

Hlubi-Majola says the pay gap between permanent employees and contract workers is huge, and Numsa is determined to fight to eradicate this “neo-Apartheid wage gap created by Implats.”

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