JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Some 500 workers have entered the third day of a protected strike at mining major Glencore’s Koornfontein mine, in Mpumalanga, over what the union claims are unfair deviations from the company’s standard retrenchment package.

NUM Highveld regional secretary Stanley Lebelo told Mining Weekly Online on Monday that around 240 NUM members employed at the mine’s Gloria shaft had, in July, been issued with retrenchment notices.

The labour union – which claimed some 95% representation at the operation – had since been in discussion with the company about the retrenchment under the auspices of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.

However, talks broke down over what Lebelo said were inconsistencies in the retrenchment package.

The unionist told Mining Weekly Online that retrenched Koornfontein workers had been offered the equivalent of a three-week salary package for the first year of employment, while those that had worked at the mine for between two and six years were afforded an additional two-week salary package for every year worked.

Those employed for seven years were offered an additional one-week salary package for every year worked after their sixth year of employment.

However, according to Lebelo, workers retrenched at Glencore’s Tweefontein and Tugo mines were given a four-week salary package for their first year of employment, while those employed for between two and six years were given an additional three-week salary payment for each year worked.

Those employed for seven years or longer were granted an additional two-week salary settlement for every year worked.

“Why is the company paying separate packages? Glencore is deviating from the same formula it is using at other operations, such as Tweefontein and Tugo. We are being undermined and we will make sure they feel the pinch. We are also intending to apply for a secondary strike from other Glencore operations,” he added.

Glencore would not respond in detail to Mining Weekly Online’s request for comment, but confirmed in a statement that about 500 employees who were members of the NUM had embarked on a strike at Koornfontein.

“Glencore has undertaken to explore the redeployment of some of the employees to other Glencore Coal operations, where vacancies exist. We are also putting together support services for affected employees,” it stated.