Press Statement, 18 October 2022
NUM KwaZulu Natal post- regional committee media statement
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) KwaZulu Natal Region convened its Regional Committee (RC) meeting in Durban from the 15th to the 16th October 2022.
The meeting, which was attended by 90 regional delegates from the 45 NUM branches in KwaZulu Natal, dealt with a number of workplace related issues as well as challenges facing the organisation from the outside.
Fatal Accident involving Litchi Landscape Employees
The Regional Committee expressed its shock after the death earlier this month of two Litchi Landscape employees (one being NUM member) who were involved in an accident. following a collusion on R102 between a bakkie that was carrying workers and an unroadworthy truck. The bakkie was rear-ended by the truck resulting in two deaths and multiple injuries.
Our primary concern is the fact that the bakkie used to transport the workers was not designed to ferry human beings but to transport working tools. In that accident, four of NUM members were critically injured and are being admitted to hospital.
As the NUM region in KwaZulu-Natal we are calling for stricter rules when transporting workers on bakkies. We are also calling for an urgent investigation regarding the accident to ensure that the company accounts and takes full responsibility. Transporting of people, in particular workers, on open bakkies or trucks poses a significant threat to their safety.
Unilateral Change to conditions of service at Buffalo Coal Mine
The Regional Committee strongly condemned the behaviour of Buffalo Coal Mine for changing conditions of services without proper consultations. We are highly disturbed by such behaviour whereby the employer seems to be undermining the NUM as an organised labour.
The employer has terminated the original transport system and implemented a new transport allowance which is far less than the current transport costs. We submitted a memorandum of demands to Buffalo Coal on the 7th October 2022 and the issue of union bashing by the company.
A particular race is given preference to hold particular positions because of the colour of their skin. However their capacity remains questionable to us as the NUM. We view this as a direct attack to our members because of the colour of their skin. We have had enough from this employer and our members are more than ready to embark on a strike in order to teach this hostile employer a lesson and the matter has been already referred to CCMA.
Servest's withdrawal of NUM organisational rights
We view the latest decision by Servest Landscaping to withdraw NUM’s organisational rights as a declaration of war. The NUM therefore condemns such behaviour as unjust and barbaric. We are urging the company to reconsider their decision since this barbaric act would deprive our members their inherent basic labour rights.
NUM KwaZulu-Natal Region 40th Anniversary Celebration
The NUM in KwaZulu Natal Region, like any other regions of this mighty trade union, is planning a Provincial Shopstewards Council on the 5th November 2022 as a buildup to the national 40th anniversary celebration in December at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Limpopo. Our aim as a region is to ensure that the national celebration on the 4th December becomes a great success.
For more detailed information, please contact:
Muzikayise Zakwe, NUM Regional Secretary, 066 475 2246 or 072 359 6170
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