By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) has denied there is a “hostage situation” at Gold One Modder East Mine in Springs, Ekurhuleni.
More than 543 workers at the mine have been underground since Sunday after they were prevented from coming back to the surface on Monday morning.
It has been alleged that the workers were held hostage by Amcu-affiliated workers.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) claimed that workers who are held hostage belong to its union.
But AMCU’s Krister Janse van Rensburg said no one is being held hostage.
“It is completely untrue that anybody is being held hostage. Amcu is the outright majority union at this mine. We have 1,700 of the total 1,800 employees at the time.
“So the whole notion of anybody holding anybody hostage underground, it is clearly impossible,” says Van Rensburg.
He claimed that workers have been trying to move from NUM to AMCU, but the company is delaying the process.
“It is clearly a narrative just to try and keep AMCU out of that mine – the majority of workers at that mine submitted their stop order forms in March to join AMCU, and the company has been avoiding processing their applications, and that’s why we have this problem.
“We are returning there as Amcu officials to try to break this impulse and to stop the strike and get the members up from underground.
“We hope to find an amicable solution, and the issue won’t escalate further,” he said.
The company has since been granted an interdict at the Labour Court, which prohibits AMCU and its members from engaging in any illegal strike or any conduct involving the detention or assault of employees.
Police spokesperson Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi also confirmed that officers are on standby to monitor any eventualities as the management of the mine is in talks with the union.