Miners call on Amcu to uphold worker rights

Johannesburg - Impala Platinum [JSE:IMP], Anglo American Platinum [JSE:AMS] and Lonmin [JSE:LON] have called on the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) to exercise responsible leadership.

Fears of friction between striking miners and those wanting to resume work arose when Amcu objected to employers approaching miners with their wage offer directly in a bid to end the strike.

"We recognise the right to strike as a fundamental right of employees, a right which has been respected throughout the dispute," the mining companies said.

"But we have a responsibility to communicate directly with our employees... our employees wish to return to work but have expressed a fear of continued intimidation and violence."

The companies urged Amcu to recognise and uphold the rights of those who wanted to work.

The strike has cost the companies about R14.4bn in revenue and workers have lost over R6.4bn in earnings.

Three non-striking miners were killed, and six non-striking miners were stabbed while on their way to work on Monday. No violence was reported overnight in the Rustenburg platinum belt, North West police said on Tuesday morning.

Police spokesperson Thulani Ngubane said police have set up park-and-ride facilities around the platinum mines to handle the numbers of arrivals.

Additional police were deployed to the platinum belt on Tuesday to provide security for thousands of striking miners who are expected to start returning to work this week, in defiance of orders from their union, Ngubani said.

Amcu members at Implats, Lonmin, and Amplats have been on strike since January 23 demanding a basic salary of R12 500 a month.

The R12 500 demand stems from a violent wildcat strike in Marikana near Rustenburg in August 2012, where Lonmin workers demanded R12 500 as a basic monthly salary.

Forty-four people were killed during the strike. Thirty-four mineworkers were killed on August 16, 2012, when police fired on them while allegedly trying to disarm and disperse them.

Ten people, including two policemen and two security guards, were killed during the preceding week.

President Jacob Zuma appointed retired judge Ian Farlam to chair a commission probing the 44 deaths.