Unions up in arms over working mines

In the 21st-century world economy, it was difficult for the government to declare a complete lockdown on all key industries, labour expert Andrew Levy said yesterday.

Unions are pressuring government – particularly the department of mineral resources – “to declare who sanctioned some mining companies to operate” following the national lockdown.

But Levy said core services had to “be kept going, otherwise you will end up with a jungle”.

“If government has declared certain industries as essential and those industries have undertaken to abide by health and safety provisions of the law in taking care of employees, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.”

Expressing “deep concern” that some mining companies continued operating, National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) president Joseph Montisetse said: “We want to know who gave them the right to operate during the lockdown.”

Referring to the Tau Lekoa mine in Orkney, North West, Phakamile Hlubi-Majola, spokesperson for the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), said she was “concerned about the safety of employees”.

“Ramaphosa clearly said the mining sector would be only allowed to run care and maintenance teams. We are shocked to learn that the employer and other unions have reached consensus that Tau Lekoa can continue to run operations.”

Following this week’s death of a mineworker at Mzimkhulu Colliery in Mpumalanga, Gabriel Nkosi, national health and safety coordinator of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), questioned whether the required safety mechanisms were in place.

“Last week, Amcu wrote to Minister Gwede Mantashe, expressing disappointment with the blanket allowance during lockdown.”

But mineral resources department spokesperson Natie Shabangu said Mantashe held rigorous discussions with stakeholders to consolidate plans.

“Among them, were Amcu, NUM and Solidarity.”

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.