The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) condemns Impala Platinum for condoning and promoting violence at its operations in Rustenburg. The company is currently clocking-in for workers who were arrested for attacking the NUM shopstewards on 17 January. “Management is doing these to encourage them to continue with their actions as well as to avoid dismissals on the basis of abseentism” says Eddie Majadibodu, the NUM‘s Production Pillar Head.

The NUM is highly disappointed and aggrieved by Impala‘s inconsistencies. First, it pushed a unilateral increment of 18% outside bargaining processes after arguing for months that it cannot afford the demand the NUM had put forward leading to the unfortunate events of Marikana. Then the company pulled out of a verification agreement entered into between itself, the NUM and AMCU putting its weight behind the rival.

This is the Impala which has worked with these hooligans to expel the NUM leadership from their offices since March 2012 despite the fact that the recognition agreement was still valid. The NUM has been complaining that Impala management has sponsored the violence at its operations and this has now been proven to be true. Company policies that deal with discipline have been suspended and nobody is charged at Impala for as long as they associate with the new union.” We are quite aware that management at the executive level issued instructions to the junior managers in the Rustenburg operations that they would be fired should NUM be allowed to regain its membership. It is now clear why Impala and the union involved have connived to pull out of the verification agreement as this would have proved that NUM members were intimidated and forced to resign and join the new union” says Majadibodu.