The trade union Solidarity today expressed its sympathy with Dr Frans Barker’s family and his colleagues at the Chamber of Mines. Barker, a well-known labour law expert, economist and the chief negotiator at the Chamber of Mines in the Gold and Coal Industry, passed away in his sleep on Friday morning.
According to Gideon du Plessis, general secretary of Solidarity, Barker was a formidable negotiator who, thanks to his wealth of knowledge and experience of the industry, always sought viable solutions at the negotiation table with dedication and integrity. Du Plessis described Barker’s death as a huge loss for the mining industry and South Africa, and called on the Chamber of Mines and all trade unions in this industry to help keep Barker’s legacy of principled, viable negotiations alive.