[miningmx.com] – SOUTH Africa has been reminded of the parlous state of labour relations on its mines as trouble flared at Harmony Gold Mining Company’s (Harmony’s) Kusasalethu mine, a 181,000 oz/year mine on border of North West and Gauteng provinces.
Harmony said in an announcement that some 1,700 workers from the day shift of December 20 had staged a sit-in demanding the reinstatement of 578 employees dismissed on December 19. The protest was being led by union representatives of the Associated Mineworkers & Construction Union (Amcu), Harmony said.
“Talks with the employees and Amcu representatives are ongoing in order to resolve the situation,’ Harmony said. Tom Smith, chief operating officer of Harmony said: “Safety and health is our first priority and we will do our utmost to ensure the mineworkers return to surface safely’.
Ten Kusasalethu mineworkers were injured on December 20 as they clashed with security guards and police. “The final reports from the medical station is 10 in total were injured, and two of those were due to inhalation of tear gas,’ Henrika Basterfield told Sapa. Another eight were injured after being hit by rubber bullets fired by private mine security and police, Sapa said.
Harmony said that the mine would close a day early for Christmas after tensions had increased. In November, two workers were killed and a third injured at the mine following clashes between Amcu and the National Union of Mineworkers.
