Gold One mine: About 150 more jobs still on the line after 400 dismissals

JOHANNESBURG - Almost 150 more jobs are still on the line at the Gold One Modder East Operation as the company sanctions mineworkers for staging wildcat strikes.

The troubled mine was hit by two hostage situations in 2023, with supporters of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) allegedly forcing the company to terminate its closed-shop agreement with rivals, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).

In the absence of the closed-shop agreement, AMCU would be eligible to represent workers at the mine.

The labour dispute led to 400 workers being fired for breaching the mine’s internal disciplinary processes and snubbing court interdicts preventing any unprotected strikes.

READ MORE:

• Gold One most likely followed due process when axing mineworkers, says analyst

• Gold One miners at sixes and sevens on next move after 400 dismissals

• Gold One Modder East says it is still dealing with cost of 2 hostage situations

Gold One’s head of legal, Ziyaad Hassam, said some workers have remained on suspension.

“The 401 employees that have been dismissed so far have been dismissed for their role in the involvement in the illegal strikes of October and December last year, and a further 140 employees are on suspension. Their hearings are likely to take place within the next week.”

Hassam said the mine has also yet to conclude the process of recognising AMCU as one of its unions at the operation in Springs.

“The closed-shop agreement with the NUM terminated on the 14th of December. We had engagements with AMCU on the very same day, and there is now a process that needs to take place to verify the membership forms that they have submitted. That process will be facilitated by the CCMA [Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration].”