‘Hands off our mine’
Unemployed mine workers demand reopening of Optimum Colliery
SCORES of National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) members, mainly from Mpumalanga Province, handed over a memorandum to Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) on Wednesday.
The former Optimum Colliery Mining employees believe they are downtrodden and excluded from the country's main economy.
NUM Witbank Regional Secretary Thapelo Malekutu said they demand the RBCT board open Optimum Colliery Mining with immediate effect.
They further demanded that the RBCT board not tamper with Optimum Colliery Mining until the business is rescued as it is not placed on a preservation order.
These former Optimum workers were joined by community members from Middleburg and Hendrina.
They are aggrieved that the RBCT board has joined the NPA (National Prosecuting Authority) to stop the sale of Optimum Colliery Mining to Liberty Coal on the allegation that the company is linked to the Gupta family.
Malekutu urged RBCT to stop fighting workers of Optimum and communities using NPA’s agenda. He said RBCT must allow the NPA to prove its case against Optimum alone.
“Our members at Optimum Colliery have been mutilated, electrocuted, and lost their lives and limbs while trying to make a living through our dear [mine].
“Optimum Colliery has sustained our lives for years and it cannot be that a few connected families, the elite, and the petite bourgeoisie in the name of RBCT board ruin our livelihood, driven by greed.
“We represent more than 3 000 ex-employees who are eagerly waiting to see the business rescued so they can return to work.
“More than 2 000 employees are in limbo with regards to the future of their employment following your termination of Optimum Colliery,” he said.
The Optimum coal mine is up for sale, and workers do not have a problem with anybody who buys it, as long as the thousands of workers languishing at home will go back to work when it resumes operations.
On the other hand, the NPA opposes the sale of Optimum coal mine to Liberty Coal as it believes the company is linked to the Gupta family and is a way for the family to get the mine via the back door.
Malekutu believes they are being provoked and undermined by the RBCT board's conduct.
“We are worried about how the board has been conducting itself towards Optimum Colliery Mining.
“Last Friday, during court proceedings between Liberty Coal (Optimum Colliery) and RBCT that was held at the Durban High Court, RBCT co-opted the NPA to further suffocate the already-disadvantaged and vulnerable workers and communities,” he said.
They handed over their memorandum to RBCT CEO Alan Waller and demanded a response in seven days. Attempts to obtain comment from RBCT were unsuccessful.