Intimidation claims hit struggling Gold One Modder East mine

JOHANNESBURG - Claims of intimidation at the Gold One Modder East operation have again rocked the troubled mine, as the company tries to recover from two hostage situations.

The mine in Springs has been at the heart of a labour dispute, with some workers calling for the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) to be granted organisational rights at a mine where the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is the sole worker union.

Over 450 employees were recently issued letters of dismissal for participating in wildcat strikes.

Gold One said that the ongoing unrest at the mine continued to put strain on the business, with operations halted several times since the first incident in October.

Head of legal, Ziyaad Hassam, said the gold operation was running on skeleton staff as some miners faced threats of violence from dismissed workers.

"This situation is untenable and coupled with the significant production losses of the preceding four months, continues to place the long-term sustainability of the mine at jeopardy."

Two separate processes are yet to unfold at the CCMA, including one to verify AMCU as a union at the mine and another to review about 300 of the dismissals.

Hasaam said he was worried about the far-reaching implications of the labour unrest.

"We urge all parties involved to show restraint and to respect both the process and the outcome of these matters."

The mine has since called for calm.