The NUM supports the takeover of Thutsi Mine by the new investor

NUM Press Statement, 05 September 2016 

The NUM supports the takeover of Thutsi Mine by the new investor 

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) will fully support the takeover of the Thutsi Mine in Mpumalanga by the new investor. 
The NUM does not want to see a situation where employees get retrenched and lose their jobs. The company that was running the mine is in serious financial distress. 
Thutsi mine has good quality coal and the new investor is interested in taking over the mine and had agreed to take over employees in terms of section 197 of the Labour Relations Act (LRA). 
The NUM recently met with the management and were on the verge to conclude the collective agreement which state that; 
· Employees will be taken over by the new investor in terms of Section 197 of the LRA 
· They will be paid 50% of their salaries the month of August and September 2016 
· The new investor was to prepared to go underground to mine by 1st of October 2016. 
· We were also to engage the company to pay back the outstanding salaries from June 2016. 
· This collective agreement was to ensure job security for all employees. 
The NUM could not conclude the agreement because AMCU which is the majority union has staged an underground sit-in demanding that Thutsi Mine which is under liquidation must pay employees their outstanding salaries. The decision by AMCU made the new investor to temporarily withdraw their offer to take over the mine. 
The position of the NUM is that; 
· The collective agreement was going to ensure job security of our members and employees of Thutsi mine. 
· The underground sit-in will not benefit employees but it might make them be worse off. 
We want to put it categorically clear as the NUM that we are not against AMCU demanding the outstanding salaries owed to the workers. The NUM feels that we have the responsibility to safeguard jobs for all employees at Thutsi mine. The current unemployment rate is sitting at 26,7% and it is our responsibility as unions to ensure job security of our members. 

For more information, please contact: 

Stanley Lebelo :NUM Highveld Regional Secretary: 082 933 7586 and 078 810 7356 
Bongani Tshabalala: NUM Highveld Regional Organiser: 079 518 4774 
Livhuwani Mammburu: NUM National Spokesman: 083 809 3257 

The National Union of Mineworkers
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