Labour union the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) is heading to the Labour Court on June 21 to lay out its case for wanting about 4 000 of its members, employed by three mining contractors, to embark on a strike at Impala Platinum’s (Implats’) Rustenburg mines.
One of the contractor companies has filed an interdict application with the Labour Court in a bid to prevent its employees from striking.
Numsa intended for the 4 000 contractor employees to start a strike on June 20 over alleged exploitation and unequal pay.
Numsa says that, for example, an Implats rock drill operator (RDO) earns a minimum R17 000 a month, with added benefits such as medical aid and provident fund.
However, Numsa says a contractor-employed RDO earns not more than R5 000 a month, with no benefits to choose from.
“It is utterly disgraceful that workers are expected to risk their lives underground for peanuts,” says Numsa in a statement on June 21.