Gold companies to face the music tonight

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) representing over 80 000 miners in the gold sector will tonight begin with its scheduled strike action. The NUM is determined to pursue its demands for an increase of R2300 for surface and opencast miners and R3000 for underground miners.

The NUM has not been willing to undergo industrial action but given the arrogance of the captains of the gold mining industry, the union is forced to embark on nationwide industrial action that will change the gold mining landscape forever. The captains of the industry have continuously awarded themselves huge bonuses with Gold Fields CEO getting R45 million rands per annum last year.

The NUM has noted government's wishes that industrial action be avoided and dares the state to explain on which side it is on. The union is aware of the devastating impact industrial action would have on the economy which is largely a white man's economy with no benefits for poor black mineworkers. The union reiterates its position of rejecting with contempt slave wages as represented by an increase of a meagre 6,5% or R300 per month.

Mineworkers are determined to embark on the strike action beginning tonight until their demands are met. The union has noted the arrogance of the employers in maintaining that they are unshakable in their 6,5% pittance offer. The NUM is unshakable too in its demand for a living wage and as such the Chamber ‘s final offer would meet the union ‘s final demand and there shall be dust on the streets of Carletonville and PWV.

Statement issued by Lesiba Seshoka, NUM spokesman, September 3 2013

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