Striking mine workers at the Samancor Chrome mine in Mooinooi were staging an underground sit-in to demand a R12 500 monthly salary.
Striking mine workers at the Samancor Chrome mine in Mooinooi, Rustenburg were staging an underground sit-in on Friday to demand a R12 500 monthly salary, said the Rustenburg Joint Strike Coordinating Committee.
"The workers vow to stay underground until the Samancor management meets their demands, which include a R12 500 basic salary," said committee spokesperson Mametlwe Sebei.
In a statement headlined, "Occupation of the mine in demand of a R12 500 basic salary", Sebei said about 400 miners have been underground with no food or water since Thursday.
He claimed that the ventilation had been switched off. "The mine management has … closed the mine's water supply, in an apparent move to starve and dry [sic] out the workers … we condemn this stance taken by management and urge them to go underground to table an offer."
He said the workers were also upset because the mine would not allow them to hold big gatherings.
"Yesterday, these workers decided to defy that and decided to gather underground at the mine."
Sebei said the organisation would be mobilising community members to gather in the afternoon and demand that the miners be given food and water. The workers at the chrome mine have vowed to stay underground until management meets their demands, said Sebei.
Additional to the R12 500 demand, workers also wanted a R1 500 sleep-out allowance and a R1 500 underground allowance.
Samancor was not immediately available to comment on the matter. – Sapa