Share

How govt should handle platinum crisis

A Fin24 user, who calls himself Concerned Citizen, gives a simple solution to the crippling platinum strike. He writes:

To all parties affected and involved in the protracted strike in the platinum mining sector, I wish to offer a solution that I hope will end this devastating action.

So far we have, on the one side, the mining houses that, for better or worse, have been trying to negotiate with an intransigent union, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu).

For the mining houses to give into Amcu’s demands is financial suicide.

Not only will this spell the inevitable closure of many shafts (and obviously job losses a plenty), but it will also spill over to the other mining sectors.

On the other side, we have a union that seemingly is unbending in its requests.

Furthermore, the union bosses claim that the majority of its members are quite content to continue striking until their demands are fully met.

To exacerbate this problem we have intimidation and violence against any worker who wishes to return to work, irrespective of whether that worker is associated with Amcu.

Of course, Amcu is claiming that it does not incite violence and that these are individuals who are working outside the union’s mandate.

Therefore, how does one approach a stalemate where every party is, in essence, fighting to survive?

The answer is simple: It involves the government taking action that will see an end to this madness.

How should the government handle this situation?

The mining houses claim they have conducted an SMS campaign, whereby the majority of workers wish to return to work.

However, they are scared about their lives being threatened and about the safety of their families.

On the other hand, one has a union that claims the opposite, namely that the majority of its members wish to continue striking.

Clearly, someone is not being truthful.

I suggest the government must do the following:

Third party vote count

Provide a third party to conduct a vote whereby all members of the striking union Amcu indicate whether they wish to return to work.

This vote could be similar to the national vote that South Africa has had in the past two decades.

The identity of voters would remain confidential and the safety of the individual would be protected.

Establish levels of intimidation

Furthermore, the vote can also allow workers to indicate whether they were intimidated about returning to work and whether they accept the wage offer of the mining houses.

Government to take steps

Once the third party organisation determines the results, the government can take certain steps to alleviate the situation.

For instance:
 
- If, as Amcu claims, the majority of its members wish to continue striking, then Amcu has, indeed, upheld its mandate. The strike goes on and the mining houses need to find a solution;

- If, however, the majority of Amcu’s members wish to return to work and the only reason they have not done so thus far was because of intimidation, then the government needs to investigate the union and its breach of conduct and take legal action accordingly;

- By having the government appoint a third party that is impartial, neither the mining houses nor the union can claim tampering with votes.
 
Hopefully, this method can take hold not only for this protracted strike, but for all future strikes.

It will also ensure that union bosses act honestly and in the best interest of their members and not for personal gain.

- Fin24

Have something on your mind? Tell us and you could get published.

* Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyFin24 have been independently written by members of the Fin24 community. The views of users published on Fin24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent those of Fin24.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.97
-0.3%
Rand - Pound
23.95
-0.3%
Rand - Euro
20.49
-0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.37
-0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.4%
Platinum
907.94
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.30
+1.3%
Gold
2,213.20
+0.8%
Silver
24.81
+0.7%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,312
+0.9%
All Share
74,502
+0.8%
Resource 10
57,145
+2.7%
Industrial 25
103,988
+0.7%
Financial 15
16,481
-0.3%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders