NUM plan for the mother of all protest march against Sibanye-Stillwater' decision to retrench more than 4 000 workers

Media Statement, 08 May 2024

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is to embark on a mother of all protest march directed at gold and platinum producer Sibanye-Stillwater.

Recently, Sibanye-Stillwater issued a Section 189 retrenchment notice, notifying about its plans to retrench about 4 000 mineworkers. This is capitalist barbarism at its best.

Sibanye-Stillwater has been retrenching workers every year with the intention of cutting costs and making huge profits at the expense of mineworkers.

This is despite the fact that the gold price is doing very well and the company’s decision also come-out as we are about to enter into wage negotiations with the company.

The retrenchment of 3 107 mineworkers and about 915 contractors is a huge number. This is brutality at its best.

This evil and heartless decision will bring a bleak, dark and difficult future for our members and their dependents.

This company has been retrenching thousands of mine workers each year since it was founded way back in 2013. The only year that it did not retrench was the year 2021.

Sibanye-Stillwater has successfully destroyed such livelihoods under the watchful eyes of both the departments of Mineral Resources and energy and Employment and Labour as primary custodians of mining operations, and workers respectively.

It is recorded that for the past years Sibanye-Stillwater destroyed permanent jobs of many workers and destabilised livelihoods of many families. One mineworker is able to support more than 10 family members.

The NUM has noted with disgust the recent announcement by the company that there will be R140 million salary cut for its CEO. There are some of the tactics employed by the company to further confuse and fool workers. As the NUM, we are not buying into that.

The NUM will not allow Sibanye-Stillwater and its CEO Froneman to run away with murder and continue to exploit workers by using the minerals that directly belong to the people of South Africa.

We are therefore extending our invitation to everyone - workers irrespective of union or political affiliation, small businesses, all progressive stakeholders such as members of various communities, churches nongovernmental organisations to come in numbers to participate in the protest march.

The protest march is planned to take place as followed:

Date: 11 May 2024

Protest Assembly point:

T-Cross N12 freeway, R58 offramp to Carletonville

Protest Destination point:

Libanon Business Park in Westonaria
Time: 9 am

All members of the media are invited to cover and report about this mother of all protest march.

For more detailed information, please contact:

Livhuwani Mammburu, NUM National Spokesperson, 083 809 3257
Luphert Chilwane, NUM Media Officer, 083 809 3255 / 073 354 6569

The National Union of Mineworkers
7 Rissik Street.
Cnr Frederick
Johannesburg
Tel: 011 377 2111
Cell: 083 809 3257
Web: www.num.org.za
Twitter: @Num_Media
NUM Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/NationalUnionOf-
Mineworkers?mibextid=LQQJ4d