NUM statement on developments at Lonmin

The National Union of Mineworkers expresses condolences to the affected families of the ten victims who died at Lonmin and regret this loss of life. The NUM maintains that the loss of life was unnecessary and violence should never be allowed to replace dialogue.  The NUM further maintains that it is not in a clash with any organisation at Lonmin but that there are concerted attacks on its membership at the platinum producer.

Background

Undermining bargaining structures

The background to the violence at Lonmin lies in the companies undermining bargaining processes and structures. This trend has its roots at Impala Platinum where the company unilaterally adjusted wages for certain categories of employees leaving others out. This led to some elements founding a loophole to exploit, especially forces of violence.

Lonmin followed suit. Ignoring an existing collective agreement, the company undermined the bargaining process by unilaterally offering an allowance of between R750-250 to rock-drill operators outside the bargaining process.

Inconsistency in the application of labour policies

The NUM has noted with serious concern inconsistencies in the application of labour policies and discipline at both Lonmin and Impala where its members have to apply three days in advance to have a gathering whereas other trade unions or even groupings can have gatherings without following procedure with no consequences.

Violence and anarchy must be contextualised

It is worrying that violence is increasingly becoming a culture of the South African society at large where people opt out of dialogue in favour of violence and destruction of property. We have seen instances where communities protest over lack of service delivery but destroy the very infrastructure that they already have such as schools, libraries etc. It has become part of the South African culture where other people eliminate others because they are either a political threat or due to the fact that they have information about them on corruption.

Social Challenges

The various social challenges that the country faces such as the ever increasing number of informal settlements next to mining areas; high unemployment; the continuous existence of single sex hostels; the increasing number of the working poor exacerbated by the continuous existence of the apartheid wage gap  and tribalism would if not curbed result in large scale disintegration of the South African society.

Furthermore the high levels of indebtedness of the workforce and the blacklisting of workers by credit bureaus exacerbate the situation as more workers look for shortcuts to having money.

Failure to comply with transformation

The NUM argues that failure to comply with transformation targets as well as polices such as the mining charter and the social labour plans is detrimental to the mining industry. If the captains of the industry were to comply, there could be minimal social challenges which will in turn yield positive results for them.

Weaknesses in law enforcement

There are huge weaknesses in our law enforcement such as defocussed intelligence as well as inconsistencies in law enforcement. The NUM is worried of the high levels of corruption in the system where dockets disappear.

Responsibility by the Chamber of Mines

The NUM believes that the Chamber of Mines for example has to take full responsibility for the challenges in the mining industry as many of them are due to their inaction.

Way forward

As a way forward, the NUM appeals to all workers to go back to work and for the law enforcement agencies to crack down the culprits of the violence and murders. The union further appeals to the authorities to ensure successful prosecution of those arrested.

Part of the way forward should include Lonmin conducting an investigation on how its inaction has led to all these. The NUM demands that the families of the deceased must be compensated as if the deceased died on duty. Workers must be paid what is due to them as they have always been available to go to work but the company could not provide them with transport and security.

The NUM believes that these challenges in the mining industry are an invitation to all stakeholders which includes the producers, the unions and the regulators to a dialogue to discuss amongst others the discrepancies in wages between the highest paid and the lowest paid workers.

The NUM further urge political opportunists to refrain from using genuine working class challenges for their own benefit and narrow political interests.

Statement issued by Frans Baleni, NUM General Secretary, August 16 2012

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