Twickenham miners issue memorandum of demands to management
Among their demands, the miners wanted six suspended team leaders to be reinstated after they had been fired.
DRIEKOP – Twickenham Platinum Mine was thrown into disarray when the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) downed tools and embarked on a strike on November 18.
The protesters held placards which read, ”We say no to demotion of our team leaders, we need skills development and no more Theuns Erasmus, and no Section 54.”
Handing the memorandum to the mine’s management, Num’s Limpopo regional secretary Mr William Mabapa, said no manager should do as he pleased at Twickenham.
“We fought battles to bring the mine into a better state. Don’ t come and run it like a shebeen. We need competent managers who will not get excited about higher salaries, but also think of the people at grass-roots level, which are the underground miners and the local communities,” Mabapa said.
Among their demands, the miners wanted six suspended team leaders to be reinstated after they had been fired.
They also demanded that the production manager Mr Theuns Erasmus and employee relations manger Mr Reubern Hlokwe be dismissed as they allegedly harassed other employees.
Also on their memorandum, NUM demanded that miners working on fixed-term contracts be hired permanently. They complained that the mine management did not issue them with blasting certificates after the completion of their blasting programmes. The union also wanted Twickenham to adjust the salaries of artisans.
Mabapa added, “The mine must appoint belt-team supervisors and pump attendants with immediate effect.” He accused the mine management of being stubborn and ignorant. “Today, we are gentle when talking to you, however, next time we will tell the management to do what we want. Next time when I come here I want to see beautiful houses belonging to the miners,” he said. NUM also demand a day-care and sport centre for them.
The memorandum was accepted by the general manager Mr Pieter Ott, who assured the miners that they would go through it and provide feedback.” We have heard your concerns and we will meet and discuss them,” Ott said. The mine was given until November 25 to respond to NUM’s demands.
