Photo by: Bloomberg
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – A two-day unprotected strike at Harmony Gold's Kusasalethu mine, near Carletonville, drew to a close on Friday afternoon, following discussions between Harmony's senior management and the senior leadership of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU).
“I am pleased that the matter has been resolved and that operations at Kusasalethu will return to normality. Today, the parties demonstrated that they are willing and able to put their differences aside in the best interests of our employees and their families," said Harmony CEO Peter Steenkamp.
Employees embarked on the industrial action at the start of the day shift on Thursday, with Harmony saying this was in retaliation for its suspension of AMCU branch leadership that had encouraged an earlier go-slow at the mine. Workers also did not report to work for Thursday's night shift or Friday's day shift.
The gold miner suspended the branch leadership after only 25% of the Kusasalethu workforce reported for duty on Wednesday.
That go-slow was in response to disciplinary procedures against 40 employees, following an illegal sit-in at Kusasalethu in January, when around 1 700 employees staged a 48-hour wildcat underground sit-in.