NUM members at Finsch Mine have vowed to continue with the legal strike

NUM Press Statement, 21 September 2017

NUM members at Finsch Mine have vowed to continue with the legal strike

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) members at Finsch Mine in Northern Cape have vowed to continue with their legal strike until Petra Diamonds addresses their demands. The strike started on Monday afternoon after the employer failed to reach an agreement with the NUM.

Tebogo Kgomongwe, NUM Finsch Mine Deputy Branch Secretary said the issue is about the wages and other issues.

"We declared a wage dispute with the company and decided to go on strike on Monday afternoon. The strike is still going on. There are some members who are still underground since Monday. The members felt that if the company does not meet their demands they will remain underground. The total number of members who are underground is 67 and amongst them, there are also females, and those who take chronic medication but the company has refused to allow us to take their medication underground," Kgomongwe said.

"What angered the 67 members to refuse to come out of underground was when Petra Diamonds threatened to withhold the bonuses that are due to be paid end of September. The company has also threatened to retrench them," he added.

The NUM members demands are as follows:

1. Wages

We demand a 10% wage increase across the board to be paid every month for three years.

2. Housing

We demand a housing subsidy and living out allowance of R1 500 to be paid every month for three years.

3. Medical Aid.

We demand an increase of R1000 be paid to all employees who are part of the in-house medical aid scheme and 100% medical aid subsidy to employees who do not belong to the in-house medical aid scheme.

4. Family responsibility leave

We demand that family responsibility leave to be increased from 3 to 5 days and 4 days must be fully paid and 1 unpaid.

5. Annual leave

We demand that annual leave days must be increased from 19 to 21 days for Petra Diamonds Ekapa and Koffiefontein operations.

6. Pension Fund

We demand that the pension fund must be increased from 7,5% to 9% per employer's contribution.

7. Unequal pay

They demand equal job value as per employment equity act.

8. Long Service Awards

We demand that employees who have worked for 10 years must be paid R5 000, 20 years to be paid R15 000, 25 years to be paid R35 000 with R7 000 for a spouse, 30 and 40 years to also be paid R35 000, NB: grandfather's current Section 197 employees as per their conditions of employment for the 25 years and 40 years beneficiaries.

The NUM Finsch Mine branch leadership will be having a press conference today at 1 pm at the mine to update the media about the ongoing strike.

The media is invited to attend and report.

For more information, please contact:

William Mabapa: NUM Deputy General Secretary: 082 880 4439.
Tebogo Kgomongwe: NUM Finsch Mine Deputy Branch Secretary: 079 014 9633/072 762 5764
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