More mines shut down as strikers dig in their heels for pay hike
STRIKE-HIT Anglo American Platinum mines in Rustenburg has shut down operations in the area until further notice.
The company announced yesterday that it had suspended all platinum operations “in order to protect the safety and security of its employees from outside intimidation”.
About 6 000 mineworkers at Anglo Platinum mines went on an unprotected strike yesterday, demanding a basic salary of R14 500 and the closure of all the company’s shafts demand was met.
Hundreds of workers marched from Anglo’s Thembelani mine to its Waterval smelting plant to demand its closure.
They also called on those who were working to down tools and join the strike.
Several Nyalas and a water cannon escorted marchers to the Waterval smelting plant, while mine security secured the entrances to all the plants.
The Anglo Platinum strike follows that at Lonmin, where workers have been on an unpro- tected strike for more than a month in support of demands of a basic salary of R12 500.
Just as the miners at Lonmin have done, the Anglo strikers have decided to make their demands outside the bargaining process, claiming that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has let them down.
The miners were expected to meet the striking Lonmin workers today to consolidate their industrial action.
One of the miners’ leaders, Evans Ramokga, said the workers would not settle for anything less than R12 500. He said more than 15 000 workers were committed to the strike.
“At present we are all getting paid a basic salary of about R5 900, which is nothing after deductions. We know very well that Anglo can afford to pay the workers what we are demanding and we know we will not get what we deserve if we continue being represented by these unions.
“We can look out for our own interests. Even Amcu [the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union] is not part of this action because we do not need unions to represent Ramokga said.
He said the miners were not happy about the R2 700 housing subsidy for workers who owned homes and the R1 700 for those who did not.
“What this basically means is that those of us who are staying in shacks will continue living there while others can make extensions to their houses and enjoy better subsidies.”
An organisation claiming to be co-ordinating the mine strikes in the Rustenburg area, the Democratic Socialist Movement, said the objective was to make sure all the miners in Rustenburg were united.
In a statement issued yesterday, Anglo American Platinum CEO Chris Griffiths denied employees were on strike.
He said genuine Angloplats employees wanted to work but were being intimidated.
Miner Godfrey Lindani said: “If that is the case, why are they shutting down operations? The reason is because we have downed our tools, and more workers will do so.”