NUM women members to march against retrenchments at Glencore's Optimum Coal Mine operation

NUM Press Statement, 22 July 2015

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) Optimum Coal Mine branch in Mpumalanga will march against women retrenchments by Glencore.

Bridget Mahlangu, NUM Optimum Coal Mine Deputy Secretary of the branch said Glencore promised to consider employment equity when they retrench.

"Unfortunately right now Glencore is retrenching 628 employees and the company said it will not consider employment equity. We are also shocked because the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) is also silent. We strongly believe that these retrenchments will impact negatively on women. A lot of women had already been given retrenchments letters to work until July 31," Mahlangu said.

"We will be wearing torn up old clothes, no make-up on and messy hair in order to demonstrate the amount of poverty that Glencore is subjecting us to with these retrenchments," she added.

The march will take place as follows:
Venue: Optimum colliery premises
Date: 22 July 2015
Time: 08h00

The NUM is extremely worried about a bloodbath of job losses in the mining industry. The mineworkers are under attack by these ruthless and heartless mining companies. As the NUM, we believe that these mining companies do not care at all about the mineworkers. They only care about profits.

For more information, please contact:

Bridget Mahlangu: NUM Deputy Secretary at Optimum Coal Mine: 076 865 7490 or 071 516 1236
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