The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West province has learned with disappointment about the continuing misconduct of Impala Platinum in disrespecting the rule of law and our hard earned constitutional democracy.

This started last year when Impala gave a certain category of workers a wage increase outside the agreed bargaining structures in the union. This showed that the company is undermining all the policies we have in this country under the SA constitution.

It is on record that the Impala white senior managers are leading union bashing against the NUM. What the company is clearly doing is destroying our African relationships by making workers fight each other during working hours.

We are making a call to all workers not be used by capitalists to kill each other. In all the killings, only African workers were killing each other. We must join hands to fight against the enemy of the working class, which is capitalism, and to fight exploitation which is led by the same capitalists.

What capitalism wants is just our labour to make profits and nothing else. They do not care about our lives, our conditions of work; what they want is to make profit out off our blood.

Impala continues to work with some officials at the Bafokeng magistrates court and the Tlhabane and Phokeng police stations to allow people who are accused of acts of criminality to walk free. Impala was at the forefront of negotiating bail for these accused people.

It is also alleged that Impala continues to use its financial muscle to perpetuate union rivalry in the company by funding the program of destroying the NUM. Some of the police were resigning to join the Impala security company while they were leading the investigations and arrests.

As of today we are told that the company is planning to terminate the agreement they had with unions and that some union leaders are to be dismissed. I must be made very clear to Impala that we are not in a federal country where anyone does what he thinks is good; we must respect the laws of this country.

COSATU has learned that there is a continuous, harmonious relationship between Impala and the officials in the Phokeng/Tlhabane magistrates court and the police in the area at the expense of the workers and labour peace.

COSATU calls on the departments of justice, police, labour and mineral resources to investigate the relationship of Impala with their officials and if it is found that any party has violated laws and regulations, that party must be brought to book.

We call on the ministers of these departments to act speedily so that labour peace can be restored in the area of Rustenburg and surrounding areas.

Impala must know from today the matter is now with the COSATU NW. We will make sure that Impala respects the laws of this country. Our war is now with Impala and our own government to make sure that capitalists do not dictate our future.

Worker must join hands to fight for their living wage.