But the upstart party, fighting its first electoral battle, has been given a taste of party politicking.
As rivals Amcu and the NUM circle over mines in a desperate attempt to wrestle power, employers might have to brace for unsettling demands.
The explosive situation at shafts in Limpopo puts a troubled sector under far greater strain
Julius Malema’s new party, the Economic Freedom Fighters, is planning to have its official launch next month in Marikana.
The legal team representing the Lonmin miners at the Farlam commission has still not received a copy of the judgment handed down a week ago.
The legal team representing the arrested and injured miners at the commission say it has been instructed by clients not to return to the commission.
The mining unions’ alleged tit-for-tat violence is being stoked by stillborn promises.
The North Gauteng High Court has dismissed an application for the miners’ legal fees to be paid by the state but lawyers vow to appeal the ruling.
The National Union of Mineworkers has turned to the courts in a scramble to retain its status as the mine’s largest union.
Mineworkers are heading to court to force the state to fund their representation at the Farlam inquiry.