‘We found the perpetrators,’ Gold One legal says as it fires 401 workers

After the underground mine strikes, where more that 500 miners were held ‘hostage’ – allegedly by Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) members, in October last year – mining company Gold One has fired 401 mineworkers this week from its Modder East Mine in Springs.

As such, the National Union of Mineworkers (Num) has taken up the cause of the 401 miners, arguing the mine has flouted due processes.

ALSO READ: ‘It’s a very critical situation’- Gold One miners reportedly ‘running out of food’

The union is now trying to negotiate with management at Gold One to try to reach an agreement that would benefit all parties.

Strikes were definitely illegal

Speaking to 702, Deputy General Secretary for Num, Mpho Phakedi, said while they acknowledged that the strikes by the workers were illegal, there were still procedures that needed to be followed before any such worker is dismissed in the manner that they were.

He said that the circumstance also needed to be taken into consideration. He added it was not a ‘normal strike’ and while there were those who willingly engaged in the sit-in, many others were forced to participate against their will and were not allowed to leave the mine shaft.

ALSO READ: Gold One Mine AMCU miners demand mine halts dismissals

Head of legal at Gold One, Ziyaad Hassam, confirmed the 401 were fired and that a further 140 employees were placed on suspension and that their hearings would like take place in the next week or so.

Most sensible way

Hassam was speaking to eNCA when he said that the most sensible way for them to deal with the situation was to charge everybody who was underground during the October and December sit-in strikes. They the began a process of investigation and evidence gathering, which led them to be able identify who the actual perpetrators were.

He confirmed every single one of the employees dismissed was given the opportunity to attend a disciplinary hearing.

He said, as such the mine was fairly confident that they found the right perpetrators that had committed serious offences against the company.