153 NUM members who staged a sit-in underground at Zululand Anthracite Colliery resurfaced from underground last night at 11 pm.

NUM Press Statement, 16 October 2017

153 NUM members who staged a sit-in underground at Zululand Anthracite Colliery resurfaced from underground last night at 11 pm.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) can confirm that 153 NUM members and other workers who staged a sit-in underground on 10 October 2017 have resurfaced from underground at Zululand Anthracite Colliery. They resurfaced from underground last night at around 11 pm. The NUM can also confirm that they are still healthy and strong. They spent five days underground without eating and drinking.

The NUM leadership in Kwazulu-Natal led by comrade Msa Goqo, NUM Kwazulu-Natal Region Education Chairperson went underground last night and managed to rescue all workers. The workers are back at the hostels and other will be transported home.

The NUM had a robust engagement with the employer and the agreement was reached that the workers will not be fired for embarking on a sit-in underground.

"On the issue of long service, the employer has committed to pay those workers who are owed since 2016 on Monday and those that must be paid this year end of October 2017. We managed again to pressure the employer to move away from paying R1 780 across all 5th-year intervals. The employer will now pay long service awards of R2 500 for 5 years, R5 000 for 10 years, R7 500 for 15 years, R10 000 for 20 years, R12 500 for 25 years, R15 000 for 30 years and R17 500 for 35 years," said Msawenkosi Nkabinde, NUM Branch Secretary at Zululand Anthracite Colliery.

For further information, please contact:

Msa Goqo: NUM Kwazulu-Natal Region Education Chairperson: 073 212 1736.
Msawenkosi Nkabinde: NUM Branch Secretary at Zululand Anthracite Colliery: 072 633 5631
Livhuwani Mammburu: NUM National Spokesperson: 083 809 3257

The National Union of Mineworkers
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