JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Labour union Solidarity on Thursday declared a dispute with the Chamber of Mines over a gold-mining firm’s decision to ban workers from taking food underground at one of its operations.

The union said that Harmony Gold has now banned workers at its Tshepong mine, in the Free State province, from taking food underground, claiming that workers could now only take water underground.

It emphasised, however, that this was in contravention of a wage agreement reached between labour unions, gold-mining companies and the Chamber of Mines last year.

In terms of the wage agreement, workers were entitled to take a maximum of 500 g of food and two litres of nonalcoholic liquid underground.

“Harmony’s decision has a serious effect on workers’ health, as well as safety in the mine. It is essential for workers, particularly mineworkers who work underground, to eat healthy. The high heat levels underground cause a rapid decline in the sugar and electrolyte levels of workers who work under these conditions,” said Solidarity head of occupational health and safety Paul Mardon.

Mining companies have had to take precautions to try to curb illegal mining, with Rand Uranium also recently coming under fire for preventing workers from taking food underground.

However, Mardon said that mining companies had to consider alternative options, such as exercising better control over workers during shifts or exercising better control over workers’ food by, for example, allowing workers to eat only in controlled areas.

Solidarity said it hoped to settle the matter, but stated that it would apply for an urgent court order if it could not.

Harmony Gold was not immediately available for comment.

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