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The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is extremely disgusted and shocked with Anglo Platinum Chief Executive Chris Griffith after he made an announcement in the media that his company is going to retrench 1000 mineworkers at Twickenham mine in Limpopo.

These moneyed, heartless,  and cruel people in the mining industry like Chris Griffith do not care at all about mineworkers. They only care about profits. The NUM is disturbed because Chris Griffith made the announcement in the media without following the due processes of the law in terms of issuing Section 189 of the Labour Relations Act. Our members at Twickenham mine  were shocked to hear about the imminent retrenchments in the media. Why did Chris Griffith make the announcement in the media without firstly consulting his employees?

The NUM will definitely call for the company to implement Section 189 of the Labour Relations Act of 1995 in alignment with the  Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development (MPRDA) Act of 2002 Section 52 which states that if the company anticipate retrenching 10% or more employees it has to inform the Minister of Minerals Resources. The NUM request Minister of Mineral Resources Mosebenzi Zwane  to intervene  immediately to stop  this drastic action by the company that will leave hundreds of mineworkers in a dire situation and the surrounding communities in Limpopo. The high number of retrenchments  will contribute to a high unemployment rate in South Africa which is sitting at 25,5%.

"The NUM is also shocked because  Anglo platinum concluded Section 189 of the Labour Relations Act in their operations in November 2015, so why is Anglo Platinum embarking on the same process at Twickenham mine? Our position as the NUM is that Anglo Platinum retrenches for the sake of it or another motive is to undermine and deal with the NUM," said Phillip Mankge, NUM North East Regional Secretary.

Mineworkers are dying and getting injured underground at this very moment, in order to enrich these heartless people. We just want to remind Chris Griffith that everyday mineworkers continue to risk their lives deep below the surface of the earth to produce platinum. It is a matter of life and death. They are not doing it for fun. They are doing it to support their families.

It is these tiny and spoiled rich people like Chris Griffith, the few rotten executives of the mining industry who continues to undermine and disrespect mineworkers. Mineworkers deserve to be respected. They think it is fashionable and fun to announce in the media the imminent retrenchments and not consult the mineworkers. It is disgusting and appalling.

Issued by The National Union of Mineworkers