Mine unions condemns possible retrenchments
NUM claims some employers issued notices of retrenchments to workers.
Workers within the mining sector were threatened with possible retrenchments, claimed National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu.
This as mining companies say they suffered a hard financial knock due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
Mammburu said the union was “deeply concerned and disappointed” by some employers in the industry set to undertake retrenchments.
He said the employers were more “concerned” about profits than securing workers’ jobs.
Mammburu said some companies issued notices of intention to retrench and had to be stopped by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy minister Gwede Mantashe.
“We managed to talk some sense to some of the companies, for them to [suspend] this idea until after lockdown,” he said.
He said some employers sent messages to employees to remain home even after the lockdown.
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“We do understand that some companies are, indeed, in dire financial trouble; hence, our stance not to be hard on them as far as paying salaries during the lockdown [goes].
“However, it is the duty of such companies to apply for relief funds on behalf of their employees from the UIF.”
With mining companies under level 4 allowed to recall 50% of their workforce, the union expected full compliance with health regulations.
“Some seem to believe they are exempted from complying with social distance regulations,” said Mammburu.
“We want to assure them that they are not exempted. We expect at least four people per cage deck to comply with the requirement of a one-meter social distance.”
He called on the government to ensure the enforcement of health regulations by dispatching inspectors and even the police.
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“Our position is that 50% of the workers that have not been recalled must be paid either by the companies or through the UIF relief fund.”
“We want to assure our members that we will allow any company to use the Covid-19 pandemic to retrench workers.”
On Monday, Mantashe published a gazette of mine guidelines amidst the Covid-19 outbreak.
This guideline provides minimum requirements and practices for the management of Covid-19 outbreak amongst mine employees returning to work and any other persons at mines following the lockdown
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