Hundreds of mineworkers at the Centurion Gold Mine in Primrose, Germiston, have downed tools in protest against their working conditions.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Thursday that about 600 workers had gone on strike since Wednesday. This is because the new management of Centurion Gold Mine had reneged over the working conditions agreed with the former employers when the mine was still under JC Mining.
NUM spokesperson Mike Fafuli said some of the worker complaints included the nullification of any death benefits, the decrease of annual leave days and the scrapping of allowances.
Fafuli said workers want a salary increase as they were currently being paid a meagre R1 000 per month.
”When the new management took over three years ago, they promised to keep all standing agreements that the employees had with their former bosses, but they reneged on their promises.
”When a worker died while on duty the company provided R7 400 towards funeral costs. The new management removed this arrangement. They even cut the annual leave days from 24 to just 18 days. Workers demand the reinstatement of these agreements,” said Fafuli.
Instead of being open to negotiations, Fafuli said, management is evicting workers from the hostel and having their water and electricity cut off.
”The new management is not recognising the union and as such is not prepared to negotiate with it. We will tomorrow [Friday] solicit legal advice and make a court application to get an interdict, which opposes the removal of mineworkers from the hostels,” said Fafuli.
When contacted, Centurion Gold Mine manager and CEO Keith Hart declined to comment on the strike. — Sapa