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Pretoria - State resources have been used to destabilise the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), union president Joseph Mathunjwa said on Thursday.
"The police have been used to harass Amcu members through unlawful arrests on questionable charges."
He said police had trampled on the rights of Amcu members, and called for resignation of North West police commissioner Zukiswa Mbombo.
"The commissioner failed to execute her task... Through her incompetence, our members have been killed and arrested."
He called on Zuma to order his ministers not to harass his union and not to work with mining companies against it.
Mathunjwa said Amcu members were aggrieved by what he called government attempts to have Amcu disband, and the department of labour's "trying all avenues" to de-register the union.
"This is happening at the middle of the biggest protected strike... The department is helping the companies to resolve the strike," he said.
Amcu have been on a strike at Anglo Platinum [JSE:AMS], Impala Platinum [JSE:IMP] and Lonmin [JSE:LON] since January 23, demanding a basic monthly salary of R12 500.
The union handed over a petition addressed to President Jacob Zuma at the Union Buildings. Senior presidency official Shaun Phillips received the petition on behalf of Zuma.The union says Zuma has until March 20 to respond to the petition.
