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NUMSA: NUMSA is concerned about the safety of Lanxess mine workers

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NUMSA: NUMSA is concerned about the safety of Lanxess mine workers

NUMSA: NUMSA is concerned about the safety of Lanxess mine workers
Photo by Bloomberg

26th June 2019

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/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) is concerned about a video which seems to show several heavily armed private security guards interacting with striking Lanxess mine workers. From the footage it is clear that the security guards have big rifles, and they are interacting with unarmed workers who are participating in the sit-in underground. It is also clear in the footage that workers pose no danger to the heavily armed security guards. One worker even gets down on his knees whilst speaking to the security guards.

This video is very worrying because it suggests that the management of Lanxess may have sent heavily armed private security guards, underground, to forcibly remove workers who are engaged in a peaceful sit-in. Since the strike began last week Wednesday, our members have demanded that our local organizer must address them underground. Lanxess refused the request on the basis that our official had not been trained, and was not an employee of the mine, and therefore, in terms of the law, they claimed he should not be allowed to go underground, as they cannot guarantee his safety.

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But, then why does the management of Lanxess send a team of heavily armed security guards underground? What are their intentions? Are they going to shoot our members who are not posing a threat to anyone? Should we be worried that there will be another massacre, like the one which occurred in Marikana in 2012, which is just a few kilometers away from Lanxess mines?

Earlier today the same management at Lanxess refused to allow food to be taken down to our members underground. This was after we secured an agreement from management on Sunday night that workers would be allowed to get food. Since the strike began seven days ago, our members have not eaten because the management of Lanxess refused to allow us to provide our members with food. They only ate on Monday after we secured that agreement through the Department of Minerals and Resources (DMR). Now, management has reneged on this agreement.

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We condemn the backward management of Lanxess mines for their brutality! They are clearly not interested in a peaceful resolution to this strike. It is clear they do not want a peaceful end to this strike. Our members requested to engage with a NUMSA official, Lanxess should allow this to happen so we can negotiate a peaceful end to this impasse.

Furthermore, we call on the Department of Mineral Resources to assist us in negotiating a peaceful end to the strike, so that our members can be brought back to the surface safely.  We would prefer that this situation is resolved with speed because the longer workers remain underground, the more dangerous it is for them. We do not want this situation to end in bloodshed.

Meanwhile our officials will continue to try and offer workers and their families’ as much support as they can during this time. We want to thank them for showing solidarity and for workers underground. Some of them are staging a night vigil in solidarity with them. They are braving the freezing weather, outside the mine gates in a show of support. In the meantime, as NUMSA we will continue to do all we can to get workers back up to the surface safely.
 
Aluta continua!
The struggle continues!

Issued by NUMSA

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