JOHANNESBURG – Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) in the North West will during the next two weeks hold a series of marches at mines in the province over union matters, it said on Thursday.

Provincial spokesman Solly Phetoe said in a statement the campaign was intended to get mines to treat unions "fairly".

Cosatu believed that a number of mines, particularly those in the platinum belt, were not affording its affiliate, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), the same rights as other unions.

Last month, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) at Lonmin's platinum mine in Marikana threatened to go on strike over an organisational rights dispute between itself and the NUM, reportedly because the NUM would not vacate a union office.

The rival unions have been struggling for dominance at the mine, which has resulted in violent strikes and assassinations.

Phetoe said NUM members had received threats and mine management had given the union an ultimatum to clarify its membership, even though "the company is aware that the union cannot recruit freely".

The Lonmin march, which would take place in the next two weeks, would demand that the company lift this ultimatum "until the situation in the area has normalised and all unions are allowed to exist side-by-side in peace".

On July 5, Cosatu would march to Impala Platinum to demand "labour peace and an end to union bashing", he said.

Marchers would also call for NUM offices at the mine to be opened.

Cosatu was also concerned about the possible retrenchment of about 6 000 workers at Anglo Platinum, and the associated consequences for workers' families.

Phetoe said there was a perception that there was an "attack" on the NUM.

"Cosatu has also noted that this attack has a negative effect on the working class in general, as workers continue to be killed and are also facing continuous threats of retrenchment..."

Earlier this month, Cosatu national spokesman Patrick Craven said at least 60 people had died in the course of disputes at Lonmin and Impala Platinum in the past year.

In August, 34 people died in a clash with police at Marikana during an unprotected strike at Lonmin. In the preceding week, 10 people, including two policemen and two security guards, were killed.