JOHANNESBURG - While the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) maintains a wage settlement has been reached at chrome mine Samancor, protesting miners insist their strike continues.
Without giving any details, mine management on Saturday announced industrial action was over, saying it had reached a settlement with the union.
But strike leaders say the announcement was an attempt by the mine and the NUM to “undermine” them.
A representative of the striking workers, Mametlwe Sebei, said the union giant was in no way involved in the strike or talks to end the dispute over wages.
He said the NUM had not engaged with workers as claimed.
Sebei said workers believe the NUM has lost all its credibility, after Lonmin mine workers were forced to represent themselves in wage talks that ended a five-week stoppage at the Marikana mine.
Lonmin employees earlier this month abandoned their unions during their strike, citing they did not have their best interests at heart.
Sebei said Samancor workers this week staged a sit-in underground because of a police crackdown on illegal gatherings in the Mooinooi, North West, area.
He said other striking miners in the Rustenburg platinum belt would soon stage similar protests.
Samancor workers, and their counterparts from in Rustenburg mines, are demanding a R12, 500 monthly salary.
Meanwhile, NUM spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka says a delegation has been sent to striking miners in Rustenburg - to facilitate negotiations between disgruntled workers and employers.
Almost 75,000 workers are on strike or being prevented from going to work in South Africa's mining sector, including at mines run by the world's third biggest bullion producer AngloGold Ashanti.