Mining
Wednesday, October 25th, 2023 2:42 pm EDT
Key Points
- Over 100 miners in South Africa escaped from a gold mine where they were held underground for three days during a union dispute, with around 450 workers remaining in the mine. Some miners were preventing others from leaving as they demanded formal recognition of their labor union, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU).
- The company running the mine estimated that 110-120 of the miners underground might be supporters of the unregistered union and were holding the others. However, the AMCU claimed that the miners stayed underground willingly as a protest in support of the union.
- The standoff took place at the Modder East mine in Springs, east of Johannesburg, and resulted in injuries during scuffles. Police and mine officials referred to the situation as a “hostage” situation. The conflict revolved around the recognition of the AMCU as the workers’ union of choice, as the mine had a closed-shop agreement with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).
More than 100 miners in South Africa managed to escape from a gold mine where they had been held underground for three days during a union dispute. Approximately 450 workers remain in the mine, with some of them preventing others from leaving as they demand formal recognition of their labor union, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU). The company operating the mine believes that around 110-120 of the miners underground may be supporters of the unregistered union and were holding the others. However, the AMCU claims that the miners stayed underground willingly in support of their union. The standoff is taking place at the Modder East mine in Springs, east of Johannesburg. Scuffles have resulted in injuries, and mine officials have labeled the situation a “hostage” situation. The conflict revolves around the recognition of the AMCU as the workers’ union of choice, as the mine currently has a closed-shop agreement with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). The rivalries between the AMCU and NUM have been a source of tension in South African mining circles for years.
For the full original article, please click here: https://toronto.citynews.ca/2023/10/25/109-miners-escape-from-gold-mine-in-south-africa-but-others-continue-union-standoff-official-says/
