[miningmx.com] – DEPUTY president Kgalema Motlanthe said “a new spirit of camaraderie” had been created between rival unions at the June 14 summit in which the mining sector set down plans for a pact on mine stability and peace.
Called the ‘Framework Agreement for a Sustainable Mining Industry’, the draft agreement commits unions and management, as well as government, to ensuring conditions of security, law and order on the mines.
Speaking on Talk Radio 702, Motlanthe also revealed that he had intervened in inter-union rivalry in the days before President Jacob Zuma declared his government neutral on union affairs.
He had ‘communicated’ the grievance of the Associated Mineworkers & Construction Union (AMCU) that certain cabinet members had used their position to “… speak ill of AMCU”. This is partly a reference to mines minister, Susan Shabangu, who said at the central executive committee meeting of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on May 24 that the union should fend against forces wanting to bring government down.
“The first complaint AMCU communicated was that the cabinet was using public platforms to speak ill of AMCU,” said Motlanthe.
“I raised that concern with the President and colleagues which is why the President said [subsequently] that as government we are neutral. You can ask AMCU. We treat everyone exactly the same,” he added.
“Even at the summit we had, there was no ill feeling. The AMCU president [Joseph Mathunjwa] was seated with minister of mineral development [mines minister] and the camaraderie indicated a new spirit of being accepted; that government has to treat all citizens equally. We can’t be partisan,” Motlanthe said.
Motlanthe’s comments come a day before AMCU’s relationship with the NUM and the rest of the mining industry will be in the spotlight again and the day after AMCU submitted its own wage demands for the gold industry in which it sought a doubling in entry level worker salaries.
June 26 is the day set aside for the start of arbitration between AMCU and Lonmin at the Council for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) in which the sides will hope to hammer out a recognition agreement for AMCU.
It is also the day when the summit members are expected to provide feedback on the Framework Agreement for a Sustainable Mining Industry and guide as whether it can be signed and form the basis for peaceful work conditions on the mines.
Motlanthe said it was crucial labour and mining companies worked together with the latter working to ease the worst consequences of migrant labour, while lawlessness on the mines had to be stamped out.
“There has got to be a partnership,” said Motlanthe. “All parties have got to contribute to the best of their abiities.
“The mining houses for starters can eliminate migrant labour systems by providing transport for these mineworkers,” he said.
Motlanthe suggested migrant mine workers ought to be given two weeks holiday after eight weeks work. “If mines can provide the transport, mineworkers would have one home and would be at home more often rather than current system where away from home for 12 months and at home to two weeks,” Motlanthe said.
