About 21 000 members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in the Free State have suspended their strike at Harmony Gold’s Free State operations and will return to work for the evening shift, ending a two-week strike, the NUM said on Wednesday.
The suspension follows an agreement reached between the union and the company on Wednesday afternoon, after the union received a mandate to settle from its members.
“We have received a mandate from our members to settle the strike. This means that this strike is suspended, and so is the secondary strike intended to start in all the company’s operations on April 12, of which the notice was already served to the company last week Friday.
“We are pleased with this outcome, so that we can begin repairing the relations which were starting to be damaged as a result of the animosities developing during the strike,” said NUM Free State chairperson Tanki Malefane.
The agreement covers the replacement of workers who die at the workplace or as a result of occupational diseases.
The pact also will see an investigation into inaccurate payments, or unknown deductions, and the rectification of those that are found.
The agreement will also see the immediate eradication of racism problems and the setting up of an independent audit, agreed to by the company and the union, to look into racism in all operations, the NUM said.
As a result of the agreement, single-sex hostels will be converted into family units starting on June 1 2005, and the housing allowance will increase to R715.
The agreement also sees an undertaking of a feasibility study into the living-out allowance within three months.
On health care, workers will have the right to choose a medical aid, there will be in-house treatment for tuberculosis patients and workers will have to consent to transfers to private hospitals.
The agreement will also see the implementation of adult basic education and training (Abet) and the mining charter, including quarterly reports to the union on progress regarding the charter.
The union feels that these issues cover its concerns, but will pursue the outstanding matter of replacement of medically incapacitated workers, the NUM said.
“An anomaly is that some of the Harmony branches in the Free State have this agreement at their local operations, whereas others do not. Furthermore it will negotiate with the company for introduction of Abet where it doesn’t exist,” the NUM said. — I-Net Bridge