By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Multinational mining and metals processing Group Sibanye-Stilwater has dismissed more than 200 mineworkers who staged an underground protest at one of its shafts in Rustenburg.
The protest started on June 3 at Kroondal involving 211 employees who remained underground after the morning shift. A further 250 night shift employees are assembled on surface at K6 PGM shaft.
Employees were disgruntled after proceeds of an ESOP were paid out to miners at Sibanye-Stillwater’s Marikana and Rustenburg PGM mines that excluded Kroondal.
Sibanye-Stillwater said it planned to include the Kroondal employees once the acquisition of the Kroondal Pool and Share Agreement by Sibanye Rustenburg Platinum Mines was finalised. “The striking employees and their union representatives were well informed about the future date of inclusion into the Rustenburg ESOP,” said Sibanye-Stillwater on Tuesday.
Sibanye spokesperson James Wellstead said the unions representing the workers did not support the strike.
“The workers who staged an illegal underground sit-in, in terms of the Labour Relations Act, were given three ultimatums, obviously to return to the surface and engage through the established channels or the union. The unions also asked the members to come up.
“But they refused and stayed underground until Wednesday. Therefore, they have been issued with dismissal notices, but they obviously have the right to appeal their dismissals, so I am sure that will happen.
“I am not sure about the exact number, but it was 211 employees who staged an underground protest.”
Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) leader Joseph Mathunjwa said the matter relating to the shares at Sibanye had been part of a wage negotiations agreement in previous year.
Mathunjwa said the union would approach the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) over the matter and declare a dispute.
“This is a wage demand from 2020,” he said.
Mathunjwa appealed to workers who were fired to keep calm.
He also told those that had not been dismissed to report for duty while several processes take place behind the scenes including the appeal hearing of the dismissed workers.
“We have put in an appeal on behalf of workers we are not sure if the matter will be heard on Monday,” the AMCU president said.
In February, the group decided to retrench 852 full-time employees and contractors at its South African PGM mines.
In its latest restructuring announcement on April 11,Sibanye-Stillwater said it was running the rule over 3,107 employees and 915 contractors, though not all would be lost. These were jobs at its gold mines and head office.
Sibanye-Stillwater announced R6.5bn worth of restructuring last year of which about half were at its US palladium and platinum mine Stillwater. The group called time on a proposed expansion of Stillwater to 700,000 ounces a year of palladium and platinum. Production for 2024 is expected to be between 440,000 to 460,000 oz.