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Johannesburg - Association of Mining and Construction Union (Amcu) president Joseph Mathunjwa believes government could only blame itself for the labour troubles and erosion in investor confidence in the mining sector, Business Day reported on Friday.
Mathunjwa said following the shootings at Marikana in August last year, when 34 miners were killed, Amcu had written to President Jacob Zuma requesting a mining indaba, the newspaper reported.
"They [government] didn't respond. He [Zuma] missed a precious opportunity because he looked at the colour of the T-shirt that made the call and forgot to look at the nation," the Amcu president told the newspaper.
"If he had, he wouldn't be panicking like this today."
Added to this, recent statements by several Cabinet ministers attacking Amcu and siding with the rival National Union of Mineworkers had not helped create a favourable environment for talks.
Mathunjwa said Amcu would finalise its wage demands for the platinum and gold sectors by Saturday.
