[miningmx.com] — THE unprotected strike paralysing the Impala Platinum
(Implats) flagship mining complex in Rustenburg, which led to the dismissal of all
17,200 underground workers, represents a rebellion against the National Union of
Mineworkers (NUM) by its members.
The outcome of the standoff will be a crucial test of NUM’s ability to serve as the
fulcrum of labour relations in the platinum sector.
It is at Implats that NUM has its most compelling monopoly on negotiations – to the
extent that its recognition agreement with Implats virtually excludes other unions
with it being the sole negotiator for all professional levels.
The strike arose from NUM’s assenting to a large increase for one category of
workers, causing other workers deep discontent.
A brief strike by rock drillers at Implats’s No 14 shaft on January 12 culminated in a
strike by all 5,000 rock-drillers at the complex within a week.
After practically all the rock drillers were dismissed, the strike extended to the entire
workforce.
Two weeks later no official demands have yet been made on negotiations conducted,
because workers are refusing to negotiate through NUM and Impala refuses to
negotiate with the committee the strikers appointed to circumvent the union.
Strikers to whom Sake24 chatted last week on a visit to Implats’s hostels, vented
their spleen against their union, maintaining they would fight their battle without
NUM.
They are demanding a massive increase for the lower professional levels, in particular
for rock drillers, in reaction to the once-off 18% increase for miners, a comparatively
high professional level.
According to Implats, NUM approved the selective increase without demurring, but
Num now claims it was opposed to it from the start.
Strikers at Implats however said that NUM had “remained silent’ after the miners’
increase was approved.
“We don’t want 18%, we want R9,000 – after tax,’ a number of rock drillers told
Sake24. These workers currently receive around R6,000 a month.
“We also heard this figure,’ said Implats spokesperson Bob Gilmour.
Sydwell Dokolwana, NUM’s regional secretary in Rustenburg, shrugged off the
demands as a cynical canvassing attempt by a competing union which was seizing
the strike as an opportunity to recruit Implats workers.
“It was a recruitment strategy. They came here and told the people: “We are with
you and we will fight to the death for your demands.’ ‘
This competitor is the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu),
which in 2003 broke away from NUM in Mpumalanga and recently established itself in
the platinum industry.
In October last year, Amcu used a strike to force mining contractor Murray & Roberts
Cementation (MRC) to recognise it at Aquarius Platinum’s Everest Mine, where MRC
was supplying the labour force.
In 2010 Amcu also called a strike at mining group Xstrata to gain recognition.
Strikers at Implats said Amcu appeared on the scene after the rock drillers had
already begun their strike and their own community had been refused access to the
mine’s management.
It now appears that the rock drillers’ committee has aligned itself with Amcu.
NUM’s unpopularity among members of the Implats workforce was also dramatically
illustrated in 2009 when union leaders grimly attempted to end an unprotected strike.
NUM Deputy President Piet Matosa was stoned when he tried to address strikers and
apparently lost an eye in the process.
Last year, during an unprotected strike at Lonmin’s Karee shaft, NUM was also unable
to get workers to return to work.
Cosatu in North West issued a statement berating Implats and Amcu, but also
warned the strikers to register their unhappiness at NUM with Cosatu.
NUM ‘ACCEPTED SELECTIVE INCREASES’
NUM says Impala Platinum unilaterally introduced the controversial increase for
miners and had merely “informed’ NUM.
According to Sydwell Dokolwana, NUM’s Regional Secretary in Rustenburg, NUM had
from the start opposed the selective increase.
“We demanded that they should rather re-open the wage negotiations and pay the
rock drillers more,’ he said. The union would endeavour to have the money being
paid only to miners distributed more widely.
“I want to put this unequivocally: we support the rock drillers.’
But Implats expressly denied that NUM had ever made such proposals. “NUM never
have any objections to the adjustment for a single category,’ said Implats
spokesperson Bob Gilmour. “They were totally supportive.’
The reason for the increase was the increasing competition for skilled miners
between platinum groups in the region.
NUM also insisted that “most’ of its members were not really on strike, but instead
were being intimidated by a small number of troublemakers and Amcu.
They would return to work if Implats could provide enough security, said Dokolwana.
There had indeed been a couple of roadblocks, but the intimidation was mostly non-
physical, said Gilmour.
There might be individuals telling the workers not to go to work, “but we can do
nothing about that’. According to him, security has been stepped up and outsiders
are not permitted in the hostels.
But on Thursday Sake24 had little difficulty entering the hostel complex with
a car full of passengers, and speaking to the workers.
THE THRESHOLD
NUM has fallen victim to its own success after negotiating a virtual monopoly at
Implats in 2007, which forced out the last remaining minority union in the group,
Uasa.
An agreement was basically reached with Implats that no other union or workers’
group would in future be permitted at Implats – the reason for the current impasse.
The 2007 decision was the result of a process forcing out smaller unions from Implats
since 1997, ensuring NUM’s monopoly.
In 1997, Implats divided its workforce into three bargaining units and permitted only
those unions with 35% of the workers in one of these categories. Only NUM and
forerunners of Solidarity and Uasa remained. By 2006 only NUM and Uasa were left.
The three units then merged and in 2007 NUM and Implats negotiated a new
threshold – 50% plus one, leaving only NUM.
Such a high threshold for recognition is unusual and at most other mines NUM has to
negotiate together with a number of minority unions. This agreement makes it highly
unlikely that Amcu will be recognised, but could end in a bitter struggle to persuade
Implats to abandon the agreement.
This week Implats retreated behind the agreement and flatly refused to meet either
the rock drillers’ committee or Amcu.
All complaints and disputes have to be raised by NUM, declared the mining giant. Any
liaison with representatives other than NUM would violate the recognition agreement,
a statement issued on Friday said.
– Sake24
