Gold Fields says strike ends, all workers safe

Gold Fields, the world’s fourth-largest gold producer, on Friday confirmed that the illegal strike at its Beatrix mine near Welkom in the Free State had been called off and that all 1 300 mine workers had been safely returned to surface.

Andrew Davidson, a spokesperson for Gold Fields, said the company would be looking to take disciplinary action against the instigators.

Mine workers had been underground for 20 hours by the time they returned to the surface on Friday, Davidson said.

Among the miners trapped underground were 100 members of trade union Solidarity, which said it was not part of the work stoppage.

Davidson said the strike started just after noon on Thursday when the mine workers staged a sit-in on level five, about 1 100m below ground.

A group of National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) members claiming to represent these employees issued demands to the mine management.

These demands included: returning to the surface at 10am rather than 12.30pm—or five hours after work started at 5am rather than after seven-and-a-half hours; reinstatement of nine workers dismissed because of previous offences up to five years ago; and the appointment of an additional two shaft stewards.

Davidson said the mine management agreed to discuss the demands if the workers returned to surface, which was declined.

Mine management then issued the striking employees an ultimatum warning them that if they did not return to work they would be dismissed immediately. 

Mine management was given no prior warning of the mine workers’ intention to strike. The employees had also not obtained approval to conduct the strike as required by law.

“All the workers are back on the surface and having something warm to eat and drink,” said Davison.

But he said Gold Fields viewed the incident “in the most serious light” given that the safety of its employees—both striking and non-striking—were put at risk.—I-Net Bridge