South African Mine Speeds Up Disciplinary Action Against Workers

Gold One has elected to speed up disciplinary action against 34 miners suspected to be responsible for an alleged hostage situation.

The Gold One Mine reportedly stopped any miner represented by the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) from entering the mine following a three-day-long underground strike. Scrolla Africa reported that the East Modder mine operation sent suspension letters to 20 miners suspected of being the ringleaders of the major strike.

In the earlier stand-off at the Gauteng mine, miners who had been held underground during a dispute between the mine and Amcu resurfaced safely, GroundUp reports.

Amcu claimed to be the majority union, claiming 90% of the 1,850 miners as members. They are applying for a closed shop agreement which will make them the only union on the mine. This has apparently put them at odds with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and mine management. Police intervened in the situation and said a case of kidnapping would be investigated.

The Daily Maverick reports that the diversified metals producer Sibanye-Stillwater said on Monday November 6 that it had reached a five-year wage agreement with Amcu and NUM at its Kroondal platinum mine in North West. Ed Stoddard writes that this suggests that the flare-up at Gold One has not spread to other mines.