2023-10-24 20:53:06
More than 500 South African miners have been stuck underground for more than 36 hours due to a standoff between rival unions.
Published on: 10/24/2023 – 10:53 p.m.
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With our correspondent in Johannesburg, Roman Song
In this case, there are two opposing unions. On the one hand, the NUM union, created in 1982 by the president Cyril Ramaphosa and known to be close to employers. On the other, AMCU, the rival union which directly opposed NUM during the Marikana massacre in 2012 when miners were striking for a wage increase.
According to the Gold One company and the NUM union, the workers are being blocked by the AMCU union which is demanding recognition by the company which operates a gold mine in Springs in the eastern suburbs of Johannesburg. For its part, the AMCU denies holding the minors against their will and affirms that they are participating in a “sit-in” protest.
AMCU activists are demanding that the Gold One company be recognized as an official union within the mine. But management is accused of only listening to the NUM union which negotiates in its corner, to the detriment of the miners.
The NUM union calls on the police to intervene. The Gold One company also speaks of a hostage taking and says it is very worried.
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