7 October 2002
The Minister of Labour Membathisi Mdladlana has received with shock and dismay the news that two workers were killed and seven seriously injured when security guards opened fire on striking workers at the East Rand Proprietary Mines' (ERPM) mine on Monday.
The Minister condemned the high-handedness of the security guards and expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families of the bereaved.
Minister Mdladlana said officials from the Department of Labour would get to the root cause of the strike and find out how 4000 workers were said to be independent contractors and not employees of the company.
"The new amendments to the Labour Relations Act are very clear on this matter. It protects workers from being turned into independent contractors unfairly. Some unscrupulous employers told workers they were now independent contracts or persuaded them to sign contracts stating that they were no longer employees," the Minister said.
This meant that workers lose benefits due to them as stipulated by Basic Conditions of Employment Act.
"If they are independent contractors they are not entitled to join a union, to sick pay, leave, unemployment insurance and compensation fund payouts," the Minister said.
Minister Mdladlana said the labour officials would also investigate how to help workers who were seriously injured during the strike.
ISSUED BY DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR