The National Union Mineworkers (NUM) is shocked, disgusted and saddened by Harmony Gold intention to retrench 3 040 mineworkers at its Doornkop operation, west of Johannesburg.
Harmony Gold served the NUM with Section 189 notice of the Labour Relations Act to retrench workers on the 19th of May 2015.
The company informed the NUM that the retrenchments are as a result of the proposed placement of Doornkop mine and Metallurgical plant on care and maintenance. Harmony Gold also said that it has been making losses over the past several quarters.
Harmony gold is intending to retrench 3 040 workers. Doornkop operation has 3 640 employees and the NUM has 2, 290 members.
"The company is not supposed to issue Section 189 of the Labour Relations Act of 1995 before they comply with Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development (MPRDA)Act of 2002 section 52 which states that if the company anticipate to retrench 10% or more employees it has to inform the Minister of Minerals Resources. The NUM request Minister of Mineral Resources Ngoako Ramatlhodi to intervene immediately to stop this drastic action by the company that will leave hundreds of mineworkers in a dire situation. The high number of retrenchments will contribute to high unemployment rate in South Africa," said Kanetso Matabane, NUM PWV regional Chairperson.
"We are surprised as the NUM when Harmony Gold informed us it is making losses but Doornkop mine has rich gold reserves. In terms of the management presentation, the mine still has 17 years of lifespan," Matabane added.
NUM is calling for the intervention of the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR)
NUM members at Doornkop mine are also saying that if Harmony Gold cannot mine anymore, it must give back the licence to the Department of Mineral Resources so that the licence can be put on market for a potential buyer. NUM members are further saying that they will not leave Doornkop and will welcome a new owner.
Mining companies like Harmony do not care about the lives of mine workers. They care about profits. They do not see the value in mine workers. They see the value in making profits and accumulate wealth for their filthy rich executives and shareholders including Harmony Gold Board Chairperson Patrice Motsepe. Motsepe who has been donating billions of rands to the public while mineworkers at Doornkop are being retrenched and still earn poverty wages. We want to remind Mr Motsepe that charity begins at home. The logic of capital requires constant growth in order to accumulate wealth, but this growth is, unfortunately, dependent on exploiting mineworkers who still earn poverty wages.
There is a need for a real transformation in the mining industry that emphasise on human development, not only profits.
The NUM will fight tooth and nail to make sure that its members are not retrenched cheaply. We remain fearless, committed, dedicated and unshaken in fighting for our members.
Issued by NUM