The NUM post-NEC media statement

Media Statement, 05 September 2023

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) convened its ordinary National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at Elijah Barayi Memorial Training Centre in Midrand from 30 to 31 August 2023. The NEC meeting dealt with a number of issues pertaining to the four sectors that the union is organising.

The looming strike at De Beers’ Venetia Diamond Mine in Limpopo

The NUM can confirm that the four-month-long wage negotiations with the world’s leading diamond company De Beers have collapsed and a dispute has been declared at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). The NUM is currently involved in a mobilisation process amongst its more than 1,500 members, preparing them for a protected indefinite strike. NUM members are demanding a wage increase of 9% while De Beers is offering workers only 6%.

The NUM is a mandate-driven trade union. We have made several movements during our negotiations with the company. We moved from 25% to 12% and now 9%. Members have mandated that we should not move from anything less than 9%. The status quo of neoliberalism and austerity continues to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. The arrogance of De Beers does not only undermine mineworkers but the country in its entirety.

To add salt to the wound, De Beers went all out to increase the salaries of the already stomach-bloated senior managers by 6%. As the NUM we are very much convinced that De Beers is not a poor company and that it could afford workers’ demands. From the onset of the wage negotiations, De Beers negotiators have been negotiating in bad faith.

This deadlock over wage increases deserves a solid response from workers until De Beers takes seriously the demands of the workers.

We cannot allow bosses to make workers suffer for a crisis that is not of their own doing. The private sector is benefitting from government interventions and bailouts while the poor workers suffocate from the government-imposed austerity measures. Food prices, fuel prices and general inflation had skyrocketed. There is just no room for peanuts to increase and for that, we are prepared for war. It is going to be the mother of all strikes. The NUM is currently finalising picketing rules with the CCMA.

Fatal Accidents in the Mines

The NUM NEC noted with great concern the high rate of fatal accidents that are taking place in the mining sector. To us, the lives of mineworkers matter most. We will not tolerate the continued brutal killings of our members whilst working, trying to provide for their families. Already in 2023, the mining sector has reported 27 fatal accidents. The Gold sector is leading with 15, Coal sector 4, Platinum sector 4 and others are at 4.

The NUM would not sit back and watch while members are dying in the hands of exploiters who put production and profit before the lives of the hard-working employees.

The NUM NEC resolved to organise massive protest actions against the high rate of fatal accidents targeting the gold sector since it is currently leading the pack. Both the Carletonville and the PWV regions are directed to organise a protest march against Harmony and Sibanye Stillwater.

Membership Recruitment Programme

The NUM NEC resolved to have recruitment campaigns focusing on the metal sector; with the Eastern Cape region being the primary target. The metal and motor industries present huge opportunities for our membership growth. Other regions with potential are the PWV and KwaZulu-Natal, those regions will also have a recruitment drive.

Quality Service to NUM Members

Once again the NEC reiterated its commitment to provide quality service to members at all times. All the structures of the organisation including officials are encouraged to put NUM members first. The NEC is encouraged by the commitment of the officials during the staff seminar held on the 24th & 25th of August 2023. We will continue to support the non-elected officials so that they can perform their duties with distinction.

ESKOM and continued load-shedding

The NUM NEC demands a measurable strategy to overcome current Eskom’s load-shedding programme. There have never been any measures to improve the daily deteriorating Electricity Availability Factor (EAF) which is at about 58% YTD and 52% MTD, far displaced from the desired EAF of 80%.

The NUM NEC is highly awaiting the appointment of the ESKOM CEO and we remain hopeful that the Eskom board will not repeat the same mistake of appointing a CEO who specialises in the unbundling of the power utility and the implementation of Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

The new CEO should be the one with adequate engineering competencies. The new CEO must be able to direct focus and energy to where Eskom problems are, namely power plant reliability requiring a clear reliability maintenance strategy, not on additional generation capacity, given the fact that Eskom to date has ample installed generation capacity of ~ 51000 MW (installed capacity), ~ 57000 MW(installed capacity including IPPs) & 46000MW (nominal capacity), which is adequate to meet the South African demand of ~32000MW and less.

The country’s economy cannot afford to endure any longer the adverse effects caused by the unreliable electricity supply, hence we appeal for the shareholder and the board to expedite the appointment of the new CEO. For many years, the Eskom problems were politicised, and as such, the privatisation of Eskom through unbundling was seen as a solution.

Rescue Plan in the Construction Sector

With regard to the construction sector activities, there seems to be deep dirty secrecy in operation. The NUM NEC demands that all construction projects across the country be transparent and be made public. We should know how many projects are in the pipeline and how many people are to benefit directly or indirectly in terms of employment opportunities. The NEC is also calling on the Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala to take trade unions into confidence. The Minister must share notes with us in terms of all strategic planning so that we know in time what is to happen in future.

Illegal Mining (The a ZamZamas)

The NUM NEC noted with concern the growing trend of illegal mining and its impact on the economy and job security. It is our view that the government and the police are doing nothing to address this issue. Stricter mine closure regulations are imperative to fight the scourge and avoid environmental degradation.

The NUM is forced to believe that illegal mining is not just made up of poor people scraping gold and selling it for a living, but criminal elements that lure the poor to work for them under unsafe conditions. The mining industry is one of the vulnerable areas; hence illegal mining is growing. Illegal mining has become a daily talk in the country due to its consequences as it steals the lives of the poor and the working class in general. This illicit activity taints the security forces and the economy of the country. Legislation should be enabled to enforce upon mining companies to rehabilitate used mines and part of that should be to take responsibility for the security of the mine/shaft.

Death at Johannesburg’s Marshalltown Hijacked Building

The NUM NEC extended its deepest condolences to the families affected by the tragic hijacked building fire last week in Marshalltown, Johannesburg. More than 70 people lost their lives and several patients are still being treated in different facilities in Gauteng.

The NUM demands that the City of Johannesburg urgently deal with this pandemic of hijacked buildings in the inner city which has become a serious risk to residents and society. This includes the need to tackle illegal electricity connections.

The visit to the NUM NEC meeting by ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula

The NEC also welcomed the visit to our NEC meeting by the ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula. With him, we had an opportunity to have political input and briefing on various aspects of government and political direction. We further engaged the Secretary-General on other matters and registered our concerns as a trade union. We really appreciated his time with us and looking forward to engaging the ANC as our liberation movement.

2024 General Elections

The NUM NEC discussed in detail the upcoming general elections and noted with concern the challenges faced by the African National Congress (ANC). We are convinced that through the processes of reviewing the manifesto, the ANC will self-correct. The NUM reiterated its resolution on supporting the ANC in the upcoming 2024 general elections.

For more detailed information, please contact:

Mpho Phakedi, NUM Deputy General Secretary, 082 882 3452

Livhuwani Mammburu, NUM National Spokesperson, 083 809 3257

Luphert Chilwane, NUM Media Officer, 083 809 3255

The National Union of Mineworkers
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Cnr Frederick Johannesburg
Tel: 011 377 2111 Cell: 083 809 3257
Twitter: @Num_Media

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