Amcu
Mathunjwa confirms unity talks between Amcu and NUM
Joseph Mathunjwa said that change was on the horizon for workers as the NUM and Amcu engaged in constructive talks with unity in mind.
The moment that 34 miners were shot dead was marked in Marikana on Tuesday, as the 2012 massacre was commemorated. Bishop Paul Verryn addressed the crowd and said: “We pray for our nation, for the healing of this nation and we pray that you will guide those who lead to bring justice, to bring economic renewal, to bring hope to the hopeless, food to the hungry and life to those who are dead”.
The 10 year anniversary of the massacre is being marked today. Led by president Joseph Mathunjwa, the union’s programme included messages from survivors of the massacre, and messages from the families of slain workers.
The organising union, Amcu, was hoping to amass over 25,000 people to observe the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Marikana Massacre but at the moment, the crowd is far from that target.
August 16 will officially mark 10 years since 34 protesting mineworkers were shot dead by the police during a wage dispute at Lonmin.
Speaking to Eyewitness News on Monday, the union’s North West secretary Phuthuma Manyathi explained that workers would be perplexed if the president were to show up at tomorrow’s 10-year commemoration event.
Government, trade unions and labour analysts agree that the country’s labour relations have stabilised, to a great extent, since the deadly Marikana strike 10 years ago.
Historians have opened up about how the culmination of the strike in a massacre was chillingly reminiscent of the mass killings of protesting black people by the apartheid police in many areas, including Sharpeville in 1960.
Scores of workers affiliated with Numsa met in Freedom Park near Rustenburg on Tuesday where they called for increased wages and additional benefits such as medical aid while accusing three companies that they're contracted to to provide services to Implats of exploiting them.
Eyewitness News has learnt that workers at Sibanye-Stillwater have "overwhelmingly" accepted a new mediated offer from the company - bringing an end to the three month strike.
For weeks workers affiliated to the union and the National Union of Mineworkers were on strike.
President Cyril Ramaphosa was forced to abandon the national Cosatu event at the Royal Bafokeng Sport Palace after protesting mine workers refused to allow him to speak.
Workers affiliated to unions Amcu and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) went on strike last month demanding an increase of R1,000 a month. Sibanye-Stillwater is offering R850.
Employees affiliated with the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) from Wednesday began their protest over wage-related matters at the operator's Free State and Gauteng gold mines.
Joseph Mathunjwa's 2019 election as president of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu)) has been declared unlawful and has been set aside by the Labour Court in Johannesburg.
Monday, 16 August marked exactly nine years since 34 miners were shot dead by police in Rustenburg.
Monday marks exactly nine years since 34 miners who had been striking for better pay and acceptable working and living conditions were gunned down by police in Rustenburg.
The union said the living conditions of the mining community of Nkaneng informal settlement in Marikana have not improved.
Amcu is expected to hold a commemoration on Sunday for the miners who died in the Marikana Massacre.