In a live-on-air commitment, the presidents of South Africa’s two conflicting mine labour unions have agreed to meet for the first time in order to prevent a repeat of the latest outbreak of inter-union violence in which 12 people were injured.

Radio 702 morning talk show host John Robbie succeeded in persuading National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) president Senzeni Zokwana and Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) president Joseph Mathunjwa to hold their first discussions ever, after both had outlined their versions of what had happened at Anglo American Platinum’s (Amplats’) Siphumelele shaft, near Rustenburg, when members of a workers committee contested NUM’s legitimacy at a time of official union-membership validation.

“At least we have a commitment, live on the radio,” said Robbie, who promised to give listeners feedback on the meeting of the presidents.

Later, Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu met with representatives of the Chamber of Mines of South Africa, NUM, AMCU, UASA and Amplats management and said that more meetings would take place to arrive at a long-term industry solution.

The meeting sought to canvass immediate action by organised labour, business and government in dealing with the recurrent platinum-sector violence, which all stakeholders condemned.

Further commitment was made to the promotion of the right of workers to associate and disassociate with any union, and workers were urged to refrain from intimidation and violence.

The outbreak of mineworker violence at Siphumelele resulted in nine employees being injured when Amplats’ security personnel fired rubber bullets to evacuate NUM shop stewards trapped in their offices; three security personnel also sustained minor injuries.

After Zokwana and Mathunjwa concurred on air with one another’s version of events and Zokwana spoke of the need for the two unions to set up ground rules for their coexistence, Robbie asked whether the two would agree to meet.

Zokwana agreed instantaneously and Mathunjwa did so eventually, after first complaining that the NUM-affiliated Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) president Sidumo Dlamini should desist from referring to AMCU disparagingly as a ‘Mickey Mouse’ union, as he had allegedly done in Rustenburg three weeks ago.

Mathunjwa urged union leaders, in general, and the Cosatu president, in particular, to avoid making negative public utterances.

Zokwana said the meeting of the two union presidents should centre on the establishment of ground rules for the areas in which both were active.

In giving his version of the events at Amplats’ Siphumelele shaft, Zokwana said workers had seized a mine security officer’s shotgun and, in the ensuing struggle, people were shot.

Mathunjwa said the scuffle had broken out between workers and a NUM shop steward shortly after workers had surfaced from an underground shift; he did no know what had led to the incident.

Zokwana urged union members to respect one another’s branch offices.

“AMCU has a right to exist, NUM has got the same right. It is members who must decide which union they want to belong to.
“I don’t have an issue if an AMCU office is opened because an AMCU office is for AMCU members. I would expect the same from AMCU members to the NUM offices,” Zokwana said.

Amplats said in a media release that violence had broken out when members of a workers’ committee demanded that the NUM vacate its Siphumelele offices.

Zokwana said that the reliance of the South African mining industry on foreign investment was a key consideration.

“Any disturbance that occurs on the mines dents the image of the mining industry and recently we were talking about 14 000 jobs being shed.

“If we continue with this kind of behaviour, more jobs will be lost,” he warned, adding that it would be constructive if he and Mathunjwa could also address that issue when they met.

“The way to go is to harmonise the workforce,” said Mathunjwa.

Reports are continuing to circulate that the mining industry can expect more outbreaks of unrest.
Harmony Gold’s Kusasalethu workers began returning to work this week following last week’s decision to reopen the mine to 150 employees a day.

Work at Eskom’s Medupi power station has been sus- pended since January 17 owing to a prolonged labour dispute between subcontractors and workers.

Amplats is engaged in top- level multidepartment con- sultation with the South African government, allowing two legal processes to run in parallel, the 60-day Section 189 retrenchment process, dealt with by the Department of Labour, and the procedure under Section 52 of the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act, which was overseen by the Department Mineral Resources (DMR).

Amplats’ restructuring plan is to close two mines, suspend four shafts and retrench 14 000 people.

“We’re not unhappy with the consultation we’re seeing now,” Amplats CEO Chris Griffith has told analysts, adding that DMR representatives and labour unions had been made privy to in-depth company information in presentations spanning days.