AMCU CALLS FOR DISINVESTMENT FROM SIBANYE-STILLWATER

At a press briefing held at Quartermain Hotel in Morningside, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) President Joseph Mathunjwa called on all responsible investors to disinvest from Sibanye-Stillwater as the company continues to exploit workers and has failed to find a resolution to the three-month long gold sector strike that commenced on 21 November 2018.

19 February 2019, Morningside — The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) likens Sibanye- Stillwater's approach to that of Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s and exposes the underhanded tactics of Sibanye-Stillwater CEO Neal Froneman, to further narrow business interests without due regard for the socio-economic welfare of workers and communities.

"We are calling on all responsible shareholders and investors to disinvest and withdraw their investments at Sibanye-Stillwater. We call on all workers, Non-Profit Organisations, churches and the civil society as a whole to join AMCU in the struggle for financial emancipation. They must join us as we continue the fight against white monopoly. We are calling on all our members in the various mines, where AMCU is a majority, to join their fellow comrades in the gold sector in a secondary strike, so we can put this country to a standstill. We cannot be apologetic about our demands. We cannot simply standby as these mining companies continue to exploit this country for wealth and leaving us to live in poverty. The investors must decide whether they want to support Froneman or protect their investment," said Mathunjwa.

Mathunjwa also condemned Sibanye-Stillwater for its latest tactic of threatening to retrench mostly AMCU members in terms of Section 189 of the Labour Relations ACT (LRA). The notice, which was served to AMCU on 14 February 2019, is clearly nothing but a strategy to target AMCU and its endeavours to enhance the working conditions of black mineworkers and communities. Literally hours after being served papers of AMCU's application to the labour court to declare the extension unlawful, Sibanye-Stillwater rushed to AMCU to deliver a notice to cut almost 6000 jobs. This was clearly directed at AMCU strongholds in the Free State and in the West Rand, and mostly aimed at the job categories where AMCU members work.

When one takes note of the true cost of Sibanye-Stillwater's plans to break the AMCU strike up to now, it becomes clear that this war is not about money. Rather, Froneman is using apartheid tactics to attack the very core of social justice, namely the campaign for the economic emancipation of the working class.

Moreover, Mathunjwa said that no one is benefiting from these mines except the mining bosses and their investors. "We call upon the investors to send a clear signal to Sibanye-Stillwater that they cannot crash the livelihood of black mineworkers and the communities that feed these mines," he added.

Mathunjwa said AMCU will continue to fight Sibanye-Stillwater and is prepared to fight the retrenchments that the company has planned.

"AMCU will spare no resources in fighting retrenchments at Sibanye-Stillwater.

We understand that employment in this country is a big problem and any retrenchments in the mining sector will have devastating consequences, however, we cannot back down on our cause. Our forefathers worked in these mines, our fathers worked in these mines, but black people are living in poverty," he said.

Furthermore, he said the current system in the country is not designed to see a black man prosper even though it is the black people who built this economy. "Our forefathers built this economy with their bare hands because they worked in these mines. However, we still have nothing to show for their hard work because many of us are still faced with hardships," he concluded.

Statement issued by AMCU, 19 February 2019