COSATU NORTHERN CAPE PRESS STATEMENT ON THE SHOOTING AND ARREST OF WORKERS AT SISHEN IRON ORE MINE

The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the Northern Cape is shocked and angered at the shooting, assault and arrest of the striking miners in Sishen Iron Ore mine near Kathu. We have also learned about the mass dismissals of workers for embarking on an illegal strike and taking possession of the machinery and equipment.

We are aware that the workers have embarked on an unprotected strike but it is worth noting that the strike was triggered by the hardened attitude of the mine bosses who refused to engage with the workers when they wanted to engage them on their conditions of work.

It is sad to learn that the workers have been assaulted shot at and arrested while they were on a peaceful strike action. If the company could put the police and private security on the workers inside the workplace that therefore means that workers at Sishen Iron Ore mine are not safe in the workplace.

We are also concerned that the management of the company violated their own safety regulations by allowing police who have not been orientated about the safety rules to drive cars that are not designed to drive in the mine premises. We will, together with the NUM, call for the investigation of the matter so that the culprits can be taken to book. Mine health and safety is not on the discretion of the employer therefore they cannot have an exclusive right to violate such.

COSATU together with NUM tried to engage the management of the company with the aim to get a peaceful resolution of the situation but the management remained intransigent. It is our considered view that there was a clear possibility to resolve this impasse on Tuesday last week if the company did not adopt an "I don't care attitude" as they did when we met.

We are still committed to finding an amicable solution to the problems in Sishen if the management is committed to such and we will call on the CEO of Kumba Iron Ore to intervene on this matter since it is clear that their General Manager is not fit to handle labour relations matters. We are also convinced that the information that they have consistently sent to their head office was false and the head office does not have the facts to the developments.

It would be important for the company to deploy representatives from their head office to come into a meeting between Kumba, COSATU and NUM together with some representatives of the workers so as to get a true account of the development of events. If that meeting can be convened as a matter of urgency, we are certain that the company will discover the truth that the situation has been triggered by Marius Mathee and Andrew Loots.

We call on the SAPS to release the workers who have been arrested and conduct thorough investigations before arrests. The company must take responsibility for the workers who have been injured and hospitalised and ensure that the situation remains safe and peaceful. Their obsession with maximum profits will not help the situation and they must be careful not to provoke the workers and the people in the communities surrounding the mine.

Statement issued by COSATU Northern Cape Provincial Secretary, Anele Gxoyiya, October 16 2012

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