Union says latest unrest at RBM may be final nail in the coffin
Trade union Uasa has expressed concern about the dangerous situation prevailing at Richards Bay Minerals (RBM), in KwaZulu-Natal, calling for decisive action from President Cyril Ramaphosa, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, the police and provincial government.
The union explains in a release that community members on June 4 started burning mine equipment amid their feud with the mine.
The community has had a prolonged dispute with the mine, including a traditional leadership squabble and another in which locals demand to be employed at the mine.
The parent company of RBM, Rio Tinto, last year threatened to close the mine that employs about 5 000 workers. Rio Tinto has also threatened to hold back on R6.5-billion worth of investment in RBM, which it initially pledged during a Presidential Investment Summit late in 2019.
Uasa says the burning of equipment, coupled with the fatal shooting of RBM GM Nico Swart last month, may just see the mine closing, which happens to be the largest taxpayer in the province.
“The mine and its workers deserve nothing less than immediate action to secure operations, jobs and safety,” the union laments.
RBM MD Werner Duvenhage comments that safety of the company's workforce continues to be its top priority and one that it takes very seriously, including the well-being of people following the community unrest targeted at the operations.
"We continue to work closely with the authorities and we would like to acknowledge the ongoing support of the regional and national governments."
Comments
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation