The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) urges all its members in the mining, energy and construction sectors to fully participate in the COSATU marches across the country to avert continuing job losses in the country.
 
In the mining sector alone around 40 000 workers so far have lost their jobs through retrenchments. Mines are closing operations on a daily basis. The government must immediately intervene in the mining sector to save workers from greedy mine owners who always leave workers high and dry after using them to up their dividends while working in horrible and unsafe conditions.
 
The latest announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa during his State of the Nation Address to split up Eskom into three entities would result in 92 000 jobs being lost both in the Eskom and the Coal Mines.
 
During the job summit which was held in October last year, the government committed to create 275 000 jobs annually, but there seems to be serious contradiction. Currently, the real unemployment rate is 38%, with close to 10 million people struggling to get jobs and over 17 million on welfare.
 
All South African workers from all the sectors of the economy are legally protected to go on strike on the 13th of February since Nedlac has issued COSATU with a strike certificate in terms of Section 77 of the LRA.Once more, we appeal to all workers to attend the strike in all nine provinces and report any employer who victimises workers who will participate as the strike is legally protected.
 

Issued by The National Union of Mineworkers