Miners demand R12 500

ILLOVO – Members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union marched to Impala Platinum (Implats) offices in Illovo to emphasise their demand for a R12 500 salary for miners.

Members gathered in song at Hugh Wyndham Park in Dunkeld West before marching along Jan Smuts Avenue and Bompas Road to the Implats offices. Miners were bused in from as far as Rustenburg.

Members working at Implats, Lonmin and Anglo American Platinum have been on strike for more than two months after downing tools in demand of a minimum wage of R12 500 a month. They rejected a nine percent wage increase by the companies.

Among the hundreds of marching mineworkers was Economic Freedom Fighters Advocate Dali Mpofu, who is representing arrested and injured miners at the Farlam Commission of Inquiry. The commission is investigating the 2012 deaths of 44 miners at Lonmin’s platinum mining operations in Marikana.

Mining bosses have said the strike had resulted in a R10 billion revenue loss and about R4.4 billion in earnings lost to employees.

The union’s president Joseph Mathunjwa said they wanted workers in the gold and coal sectors to join them and they also planned to march to Lonmin’s offices in Rosebank on Thursday.

Mathunjwa said miners earned “slave wages” while mine CEO’s earned R6.4 million per annum. “All we are saying to Implats is, let’s share the cake,” he said.

A memorandum was handed over to Implats corporate executive Johan Theron who said they would study it and respond by the deadline on 5 April.

Like  Rosebank Killarney Gazette on facebook or tweet us @RK_Gazette

Add us on BBM for the latest news in your community. PIN: 29C7976C