NUM threatens mass action over Sibanye’s planned retrenchments

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Mineworkers Union, NUM has threatened mass action against the mining sector over planned retrenchments. Several mining companies have issued retrenchment notices to employees, with other mine workers already laid off.

Speaking to SABC News on the sidelines of COSATU’s Workers’ Day rally in Potchefstroom in the North West, NUM President, Dan Balepile, says they will march to Sibanye Stillwater to strike over the planned retrenchments.

The company aims to retrench 4 000 workers in the gold sector.

“It is very much unfortunate what Sibanye is doing. It’s not only limited to Sibanye. We’re counting now thousands and thousands of members that are already retrenched. As NUM, together with other unions, we’re embarking on mass action on the 11th, this coming Saturday, we’ll be marching to Sibanye, just to show them that we’re not happy about what is happening. If they don’t listen to that, we’re envisaging to apply for section 77, to march throughout the country, stay away, so that we march to all these companies that are retrenching our members in the numbers that they are retrenching,” explains Balepile.

The NUM has also criticised mining companies for failing to put safety measures in place to avert fatalities during underground accidents.

Workers’ Day 2024 | North West to highlight mining job losses, worker issues:

Despite decades of commemoration of Workers’ Day, employees still lament unfavourable working conditions, low wages and constant retrenchments in different sectors.

The country’s high unemployment rate also remains a key concern for both the employed and the unemployed.

“I’m unemployed currently. I’ve been receiving R350, but I receive it sometimes. I don’t work it’s a struggle,” says Makhalema Rabase.

“I would like maybe the company to introduce some of the ways on how to accommodate each and every disability that we have in South Africa because some of the work at our sector doesn’t accommodate all the disabilities that we have, whereas they say it’s a sector that employs people with disability,” says Lucky Masigo a textile sector worker.

Meanwhile, mineworkers are still calling for better working conditions and salaries.