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Bloemfontein - Three mine workers were injured in a clash between two mineworker groups at Gold Fields’ Beatrix Mine near Theunissen, police said on Thursday.
Sergeant Ian Gaobepe said this happened after mine management met workers at the Number One shaft to address wage demands made earlier in the week.
Gaobepe said a splinter-group of mineworkers, who wanted to negotiate wages for themselves, handed a memorandum to management on Monday.
Workers affiliated to the National Union of Mineworkers (Num) also handed a memorandum on wage demands to management, on Tuesday.
After Thursday’s meeting with management, both groups rushed to a meeting place referred to as the "boxing ring" to meet as members.
"During the effort to overtake each other, the two groups started fighting," said Gaobepe.
He said police used teargas and stun grenades to stop the fighting and to disperse the two groups.
Three miners were injured and taken to St Helena Hospital in Welkom for treatment.
Police also arrested 14 other miners on charges of public violence.
Gaobepe said police seized a huge number of hand-made weapons and knobkerries from the two groups after the fight.
He said many workers had left the shaft and taken buses to their homes in Theunissen, Virginia and Welkom.
Police were monitoring the situation at the mine on Thursday afternoon.
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Sergeant Ian Gaobepe said this happened after mine management met workers at the Number One shaft to address wage demands made earlier in the week.
Gaobepe said a splinter-group of mineworkers, who wanted to negotiate wages for themselves, handed a memorandum to management on Monday.
Workers affiliated to the National Union of Mineworkers (Num) also handed a memorandum on wage demands to management, on Tuesday.
After Thursday’s meeting with management, both groups rushed to a meeting place referred to as the "boxing ring" to meet as members.
"During the effort to overtake each other, the two groups started fighting," said Gaobepe.
He said police used teargas and stun grenades to stop the fighting and to disperse the two groups.
Three miners were injured and taken to St Helena Hospital in Welkom for treatment.
Police also arrested 14 other miners on charges of public violence.
Gaobepe said police seized a huge number of hand-made weapons and knobkerries from the two groups after the fight.
He said many workers had left the shaft and taken buses to their homes in Theunissen, Virginia and Welkom.
Police were monitoring the situation at the mine on Thursday afternoon.
*Follow Fin24 on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest.
