NUM and the alliance partners in Mpumalanga to embark on a march to Lily Gold Mine

NUM Press Statement, 13 June 2016

NUM and the alliance partners in Mpumalanga to embark on a march to Lily Gold Mine

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the alliance partners including the ANC, Cosatu, and SACP in Mpumalanga will be embarking on a march tomorrow to Lily Gold Mine to handover a memorandum of their grievances.

The march will start 10h00. It will start from Louicreeck town to the area where the three mineworkers are still trapped underground.NUM demands the following:

1. The operation of an inclined shaft to rescue the three trapped workers must start within three days after receiving this memorandum. Those poor workers need to be brought to the surface so that their families could find a closure and move on with their lives. The thoughts of having comrades Solomon Nyerende, Yvonne Mnisi and Pretty Nkambule deep down there are disturbing and highly unbearable.
2. All Lily Gold Mine employees must be paid with immediate effect their full outstanding salaries
3. Lily Gold Mine must comply with the Mining Charter such as the Social Labour Plans (SLP). Lily Gold Mine is completely doing nothing for the locals, one of the main reasons why the NUM is opposing to it being placed on a business rescue administration.
4. Lily Mine must explain to the public why did they put the lamp house next or close to the shaft
5. Lily Gold Mine must stop all mining activities until they rescue the three trapped workers trapped underground since February this year so that their families can find closure
6. We call upon the mining companies to invest more money in protecting the lives of workers than focusing more on profits. Mineworkers cannot be sacrificed for profits. We also call on mineworkers to refuse to work in dangerous conditions.
7. We call on the DMR inspectorate to hold the mining industry fully accountable for its failures and adopt a no-nonsense approach when it comes to injuries and fatalities in the mining industry The Lily Gold Mine should also note that what happens to one employee happens to all the employees.

Members of the media are invited to attend and report.

For more information, please contact:

Thando Sambo: NUM Youth Forum Highveld Acting Secretary:0836776979 /
0713897135
Livhuwani Mammburu, NUM National Spokesperson, 083 809 3257

The National Union of Mineworkers
7 Rissik Street.
Cnr Frederick Johannesburg
Tel: 011 377 2111 Cell: 083 809 3257
Twitter: @Num_Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/NUM/100860023402167