Over 800 mineworkers at the Blyvoor Gold Mine have taken their protest underground, refusing to resurface until management addresses their demands.
The workers, who have been underground since Wednesday, are advocating for improved working conditions and fair treatment.
They have asked the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) to assist them in their fight.
According to NUM national spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu, workers are unhappy about several issues including reduced profit shares since March and a cut in the living-out allowance to an unspecified amount.
Absence of worker benefits
The absence of benefits like the Unemployment Insurance Fund, decent housing, and transportation adds to their grievances.
Mammburu raised concerns about the health and safety of the mine, stating that the workers are also troubled by the absence of workplace injury compensation.
The mineworkers, added Mammburu, are also being robbed of their “well-deserved” annual leave and bonuses.
They demand that the mine pay them bonuses and a 13th cheque for the upcoming December holidays.
Furthermore, they have asserted their constitutional rights, demanding to be free to join any union of their choice, this being the NUM.
Currently, the workers enrolled with an in-house union called the Blyvoor Workers Union, which offers a close-shop agreement and restricts workers from joining any other union.
History repeats itself
It is not the first time Blyvoor mineworkers have embarked on a protest of this nature.
In 2021, more than “100 employees” were dismissed for challenging the close-shop agreement with the in-house union.
Despite efforts by the NUM to challenge the agreement through various means, including the courts, the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, and the Department of Mineral Resources the issue persists.
Mammburu has urged the Labour Department to intervene, stating: “The Department of Labour must get involved because what they [Blyvoor Gold Mine] are doing is unlawful.”
This is a developing story.
