NUM POST NEC PRESS STATEMENT

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) held its ordinary meeting of its National Executive Committee (NEC) over two days from the 22nd and 2rd February. The NEC pronounced on the following:

1. Impala Platinum

The National Executive Committee expressed serious concerns on the increasing number of illegal strikes as well as the violent nature accompanying such strikes. The NEC in particular expressed its disappointment over the four week long strike action at Impala Platinum in Rustenburg and further appealed to those who are not yet back at work to go back to work.

The NEC tasked the National Office Bearers to engage the company further as soon as all workers are back at work on issues relating to re-instatement and concerns raised by the rockdrill operators. The NEC appealed for calm and for the union to stand firm in demanding the reinstatement of all the workers at Implats together with their original conditions of service. The NEC appealed for calm and violence to stop.

Subsequent to the NEC‘s directives on Impala, the leadership met with Implats on Friday afternoon and agreed on the issue of re-instatement. Workers will now be reinstated with their original terms and conditions of service and benefits. The NUM will engage the company on the bonus issue as well as on the review of wages. The NUM will further engage the company on the issue of re-instating all workers not 15000 as the company argues.

2. Tollgates and labour brokers

The NEC appealed to members of the union to join the COSATU protest actions against tolling and labour brokers en force. The NEC reiterated its earlier position that the costs of these tolls are too high and that it demands that they be scrapped altogether.

- NUM remain convinced that there was no need for this development to be linked to tolling in the first place.

- We remain convinced that the Cosatu position on rejecting the Gauteng tolling remains relevant and we will mobilize our members to join the march against the system

The NEC further lamented government‘s intention to regulate labour brokers and appealed to the state to seriously reconsider its position as slavery cannot be regulated.

3. Safety in the mines and the safety of women

The National Executive Committee registered its displeasure at the rising levels of fatalities in 2012 where January alone has witnessed the death of 13 miners. The NEC further noted the Platinum mines CEOs ‘s displeasure on the implementation of section 54 of the Mine Health and Safety Act but appealed on the companies to improve on the safety of their workforce first.

The NEC voiced its disappointment over the death of a woman worker at Khomanani who was violated and murdered underground. The Committee further called upon workers and employers to work together for the general safety of the workforce and of women workers in particular.

4. Nationalisation

The NEC noted the release of the report of a study commissioned by the African National Congress (ANC) on the nationalisation of mines as well as the proposal for a super tax on super profits.

5. Retrenchments

The National Executive Committee expressed serious concerns on the impending retrenchments of 2000 workers at DRD ‘s Blyvoor mine, 500 at First Uranium, 1500 at Angloplatinum and elsewhere and appealed on the companies to look at other opportunities for their workforce rather than just dumb the poor workers.

6. On the land question

The National Union of Mineworkers appealed on the state to find ways of redistributing the land back to its rightful owners as the willing buyer, willing seller did not work. The NUM appealed to South Africans to remain calm on the matter and refuse to be provoked by those distorting South African history to fit their narrow imaginations on the land question.

The NUM is perturbed and infuriated that a minority leader who benefited from the apartheid system would have the nerve to argue that "Bantus do not own certain parts of the country" and appeals on the state to accelerate transformation on the land question.

7. Litigations countering transformation

The NEC expressed serious concerns on the use of the courts to counter transformation. The NEC was particularly upset by the current challenge by Agriforum on the mineral rights issue as well as challenges against transformation in general.

8. The SONA and the Budget speech

The national Executive Committee welcomed the broad thrust of the State of the Nation address by President Jacob Zuma particularly on the issue of infrastructure development as well as the accompanying address by the Minister of Finance.

State of the Nation Address:

That NUM welcomes the State of the Nation Address and appreciates the focus on infrastructure and the final policy inclusion on housing grants for the inbetween catergory(not qualifying for grants but considered risky by banks and financial institutions.

That the SONA fell short of emphasis or focus on HIV/Aids programme, approach or resolution of the current national crisis on National Health Laboratory Services(owed by provincial government) and impact of closure or scaling down of some operations and emphasis on fighting crime and corruption

We hope that the mining industry and mining investors will make use of the infrastructural (rail) announcements by the President geared towards unlocking transport logistics facing the mining industry.

Budget Speech:

That NUM welcomes the first trillion budget presented by the Minister of Finance

NUM welcomes more the tax relief on both personal tax and small business tax, we also welcome the increase on sin taxes and the intention to tax gambling

The NUM is seriously worried about the rate of unspent money returned to national fiscus vs the balance of underdevelopment the returned money was initially budgeted for

NUM also welcomes the allocation for education and the new approach on fighting corruption

On Provinces:

- We call on the government to scrap provinces and remain with Provincial administrations(reduced from the current nine), Gauteng decisions that ultimately became areas of expenditure for national gives a necessary motivation on why provinces should be scrapped( the Gautrain expenditure is one example and now the tolling system meant to be on Gauteng has resulted in the national budget losing R5. 5 billion- money that could have been allocated for better utilization than benefiting tenderpreneurs.

9. On the ANC Policy conference

The National Union of Mineworkers welcomes the impending policy conference of the ANC and views it as providing an opportunity to review policies that are not helpful to the poor. The NUM will engage COSATU to ensure that policies that favour the working class and the poor are adopted particularly those that will help stamp out unemployment, poverty and inequalities.

10. On mergers and acquisitions

The NEC expressed serious concern on the issues of mergers and acquisitions particularly with the takeover of Harmony‘s Evander operations by Pan African Mining and Wits Gold on the basis of section 187. The NEC ‘s concern is that in all similar transactions, it is the workers that eventually become the fall guys.

11. On Nelson Mandela

The National Executive Committee wished the NUM‘s Honorary life President a speedy recovery and good health.

Statement issued by Frans Baleni, NUM General Secretary, February 27 2012

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