Few miners appeal Xstrata-Merafe dismissal

7th June 2013 By: Natalie Greve - Creamer Media Contributing Editor Online

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Glencore Xstrata says fewer than 100 workers have appealed their dismissal, following the firing of over 1 000 workers amid an ongoing unprotected strike that has persisted at three of its joint venture (JV) chrome operations since May 28.

The workers had until Tuesday, June 4, to appeal their firing.

“Very few workers have come forward,” Xstrata spokesperson Christopher Tsatsawane told Mining Weekly Online on Friday.

He added that none of the striking workers had returned to work and that talks with the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) to end the strike had stalled. AMCU represented the majority of the striking workers.

“Management is currently reviewing the situation to determine the best way forward,” he said.

Employees downed tools at the Helena chrome mine on May 28 amid allegations of a worker having been assaulted by a shift supervisor, after which a solidarity strike spread to the company’s Magareng and Thorncliffe operations. All three operations were held in JV with JSE-listed Merafe Resources.

After three ultimatums to return to work or be fired were ignored by striking employees, the company dismissed 1 000 workers.

Merafe said, last week, that it had sufficient stockpiles of chrome to service client and smelter demands.