Solidarity welcomes release of new Mining Charter
27 September 2018
Solidarity welcomes the new Mining Charter which has finally been released today by Gwede Mantashe, Minister of Mineral Resources, after three years of uncertainty on what the contents would be.
According to Solidarity General Secretary, Gideon du Plessis, the contents of the Mining Charter will not be to everyone’s satisfaction, and Solidarity itself is not comfortable with certain clauses, but the final version is a huge improvement on the original Zwane version. Since March this year, following Gwede Mantashe’s appointment as Minister of Mineral Resources, all mining social partners have had ample opportunity to give input into the charter, and the principle of give and take applied during negotiations.
“Solidarity is particularly pleased that white females have again been included in the definition of ‘previously disadvantaged South Africans’ and that the employee share ownership plan is non-racial in nature. The promotion of non-racialism is one of the goals of the Charter and it is this very aspect which makes Sasol’s Khanyisa scheme, which is based on race, stick out like a sore thumb, and which comes at a time in which non-racialism should be promoted,” Du Plessis emphasised. Solidarity is also thankful that some of the clauses which would have put additional pressure on companies regarding costs have been mitigated because the costs would have been ultimately recovered from workers and consequently would have led to lower wage increases, or retrenchments.