Reason for wildcat strike and illegal protest action at Lonmin made known today - Solidarity

Trade union Solidarity says finality will at last be obtained today about whether a dispute about rock-drill operators' pay was the real reason behind the wildcat strike and related violence at Lonmin's Marikana mine outside Rustenburg.

Gideon du Plessis, General Secretary of Solidarity, says that since 10 August 2012 it has been speculated that the violence at Lonmin resulted from rivalry between trade unions or was even politically motivated because of the organised and violent way in which the armed strikers and protesters launched the action.

"Questions also arose about whether many of the striking workers and their representatives are, in fact, employees of Lonmin and whether the majority of them are, indeed, rock-drill operators."

Du Plessis says that should the striking workers return to work today in accordance with the peace accord and should those protesters who are not Lonmin employees withdraw from the unofficial strike, thereby allowing wage negotiations to start, the protest action clearly relates to a wage dispute alone, which may well be resolved.

"If the wildcat strike, the illegal protest action and the accompanying intimidation continue today in spite of the opportunity to resolve the dispute by means of wage negotiations, then this violent protest action clearly has a more deep-seated cause and therefore will be difficult to resolve through wage negotiations."

UPDATE: Lonmin: Striking workers don't return to work, given final chance- Solidarity

The armed strikers and protesters at Lonmin's Marikana mine outside Rustenburg did not return to work today as required by the peace accord.

Gideon du Plessis, General Secretary of Solidarity, says the striking workers' representatives did not show up for the negotiations. "The representatives said they were too tired to attend the talks. Church leaders provided feedback on behalf of the workers' committee at the meeting, indicating that the workers will not return to work until their demand for a R12 500 wage is met. The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration requested a day's postponement in order to meet with the workers' committee for the last time."

Solidarity is not optimistic that the dispute will be resolved, as it clearly involves more than just wages.

Statements issued by Gideon du Plessis, General Secretary of Solidarity, September 10 2012

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