JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Recovering platinum miner Lonmin on Tuesday confirmed that a work stoppage was halting production across all 13 of its shafts.
Spokesperson Sue Vey told Mining Weekly Online that the company was working to determine the reason for the workers’ refusal to go underground and would be able to provide an update later in the morning.
The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) national treasurer Jimmy Gama said he was not aware of any action, but believed that the union’s branch committee leaders in the region would meet with management during the course of the morning to assess the situation.
However, rival National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka said that the workers were striking in efforts to have NUM site offices shut down after an AMCU member was murdered in a Rustenburg tavern.
The striking workers were allegedly accusing NUM of being responsible for the union member’s death.
“This is not a labour dispute, this is a criminal dispute,” Seshoka stated, adding that the reason that NUM was not engaging management or AMCU was that it was “none of the union’s business”.
The murder of the rival union’s organiser had occurred in a tavern, near the mine, and not actually on site itself, he noted.
AMCU has grown its presence significantly and currently represented 70% of Lonmin category 4 to 9 employees, while the NUM, which was formerly the majority union, currently represented about 20% of the category 4 to 9 employees.
The work stoppage comes as Lonmin significantly progressed its renewal plan following labour unrest, in August, during which 46 people were killed.
Lonmin shares fell 4.4% at R38.50 by midmorning.