JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Mining companies Anglo American South Africa, AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields, Harmony Gold and Sibanye Gold on Tuesday announced that they had formed an industry working group to tackle issues relating to compensation and medical care for occupational lung disease in the South African gold mining industry.
The companies involved in the group were among respondent companies in a number of lawsuits related to occupational lung disease.
The miners said that, while they did not believe they were liable in respect of the claims brought, and were defending these, they did believe they should work together to seek a solution to this South African mining industry legacy issue.
Through the working group, the mining houses intended to engage all stakeholders to work together to design and implement a comprehensive solution that was fair to past, present and future gold mining employees, as well as sustainable for the sector.
“The companies believe that fairness and sustainability are necessary to any comprehensive solution. The solution needs to be a product of the engagement process that has been initiated,” they said in a statement.
The working group was in the process of arranging initial meetings with the departments of Health, Labour and Mineral Resources, as well as with organised labour, legal representatives of claimants and other mining companies.
These initial meetings were intended to lead to an intensive engagement process during 2015 and ultimately to a comprehensive solution.