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South Africa: NUM Tackles Gold Fields Over South Deep Deaths
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Business Day (Johannesburg)
5 May 2008
Posted to the web 5 May 2008
Amy Musgrave
Johannesburg
A STANDOFF is looming between Gold Fields and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) after the deaths of nine workers at the mining company's South Deep operations last week, with the union demanding an independent investigation into the incident.
NUM spokesman Lesiba Seshoka said yesterday that members of the union would not return to work until an independent probe into the deaths had been completed. Meanwhile, Gold Fields has instructed underground staff to report for today's night shift.
Though NUM will consult its members on what action to take after the accidents, there is already talk of a strike. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and trade union Solidarity have expressed their support for any action NUM may deem fit.
South Deep has been closed since Thursday when nine miners plunged to their death when a lift cable snapped. The department issued a section 54 order on Thursday to suspend operations and it will be decided today if operations will resume when the principal inspector of mines for the Gauteng region meets the relevant parties.
The NUM also wants the investigation to establish whether there was any "collusion" between Gold Fields and some inspectors from the minerals and energy department in order for the mine to obtain an early clearance to resume operations.
Though Gold Fields spokesman Andrew Davidson said yesterday the suspension order had been lifted after full compliance on Friday, this was denied by department spokesman Sputnik Ratua. "I don't know where they get this from."
Ratua said it would be a "criminal matter" if any collusion had taken place between the mine and inspectors from the department.
Seshoka said if "some" inspectors had given the mine clearance to lift the suspension they should be fired because the chief inspector and his deputy were not aware of this.
NUM general secretary Frans Baleni said people's lives could not be compromised. "The NUM is disturbed that the mine argued it had suspended operations when the suspension was not voluntary in the first place, and now it lies about clearance in order to pursue profits at all cost," he said.
Ratua said if the union had any suspicions, it should report the matter to the department. Davidson emphatically denied any collusion.
Safety at SA's mines is increasingly becoming a sticking point between mining companies and the unions. Tens of thousands of miners downed tools in December over the country's dismal safety record.
In August, Angloplat CEO Ralph Havenstein suddenly quit over the platinum group's safety record.
Anglo American CEO Cynthia Carroll blamed Havenstein for not improving the group's poor record, while Havenstein believed that Carroll's "zero tolerance" to mining accidents was not achievable.
Last week, Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica told a meeting on mine safety that the 10% increase in industry fatalities between 2006 and last year was "totally unacceptable" and a new culture of health and safety at mines had to be introduced.
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Gold Fields is now on the minister's radar after 14 deaths in three incidents at its operations last week. She has accused the company of gross negligence and warned of possible prosecution for those responsible for the deaths.
Meanwhile, all employees at South Deep would not work on Wednesday as it had been set aside as a day of mourning, Seshoka said. A memorial service would be held that day.
The department's full investigation is set to start in two weeks' time after the cable that was involved in the accident has been tested.
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