SERITI resources disrespect meeting resolution to halt the process of retrenching workers

Media Statement, 22 October 2024

The National Union Mineworkers (NUM) Highveld Region confirms that, together with the alliance partners, met with SERITI Resources with the intention of halting the ongoing processes of retrenching 1 143 employees. 

Despite our meeting that resolved to halt the process, the pompous and arrogant SERITI is still going ahead retrenching workers. To us, this move by the company is brutal and barbaric driven by the profit making tendencies.

This narrow thinking capitalist tendency of retrenching poor workers is informed by the so called “new business model”.

The so called “new business model” literally means that SERITI Resources intends to replace the permanent employment with contractors such as the Blu Mining company in Klipspruit. The NUM Highveld Region is reliably been informed that this Blu Mining company is heavily connected to politicians.

On the 7th October 2024, the NUM submitted a memorandum to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) about the plans by SERITI Resources. We called on the DMRE to intervene and rebuke this myopic retrenchments. 

However to our surprise and up to this date, the DMRE have not bothered itself in responding to our memorandum. When submitting the memorandum,  the NUM challenged the DMRE to prove whether they are not captured by SERITI Resources. As things stands, we are maintaining our view that the department is completely and totally captured by the SERITI Resources.

Instead of being beneficial to the downtrodden and the marginalised workers, the department is more resourceful to the capitalists SERITI Resources management whose agenda is to exploit and maximise profit. 

The NUM has written several letters to the DMRE requesting urgent meeting without any positive responses. Instead, we are reliably being informed that the same DMRE met with SERITI Resources management,  hence they never even attempted to meet with us as trade union. This is a clear indication that the department is conspiring with the company and it is deliberately undermining the plight of the poor mineworkers. 

Once again, we are calling on the DMRE to revoke all the Mining Licenses that where given to SERITI Resources. The monopoly of SERITI Resources is dangerous because they decide when and how to retrench workers willy-nilly.

For more detailed information, please contact:

Bizzah Motubatse, NUM Highveld Regional Chairperson, 082 264 6533

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/10086002340216