NUM opposes additional mining rights application made by Petra Diamonds at Helam Mine

NUM Press Statement, 02 September 2014

NUM opposes additional mining rights application made by Petra Diamonds at Helam Mine

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) vehemently opposes additional mining rights application made by Petra Diamonds at Swartruggens in the North West Province.

Petra Diamonds recently announced that it is going to retrench 370 out of 421 permanent employees at Helam Mine at Swartruggens in the same area.

The NUM has noted that Petra diamonds applied for additional mining rights in the same area where it is operating.

NUM Chief Negotiator at Helam Mine Lekhotla Mabea confirmed that the company has applied for rights with the Department of Mineral Resources in the same area.

"We are very surprised as the NUM that the company is retrenching eighty percent of its workforce at Helam mine and at the same time it has applied for the mining rights in the same area," Mabea said.

The NUM wrote a letter to the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) objecting to DMR granting Petra Diamonds additional mining rights, this is informed by the recent decision by the company to retrench workers at Helam mine.

The company has now declared a dispute against the NUM for refusing to be part of the retrenchment process. The NUM will not be forced to agree to the retrenchment happening at Helam Mine.

"The brutality of the capitalism has taken another form in the history of the labour movement in South Africa. Helam Mine a division of Petra Diamonds declared a dispute against the NUM in trying to force us to agree with their retrenchment process. NUM will never agree," Mabea warned. 

As the NUM, we will fight tooth and nail to make sure that these retrenchments do not happen. 

The NUM will continue to defend and protect the job security of mineworkers at all cost. 

The NUM in its 32 years of existence had fought very hard against the brutal apartheid regime and employers. We remain unshaken and will not be intimidated.

For more information, please contact:

Lekhotla Mabea: (NUM Chief Negotiator at Helam Mine)-082 343 8203
Livhuwani Mammburu: (Acting 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