Harmony gold
Harmony Gold expects to return to pre-COVID production levels by end August
It said while many of its around 5,500 migrant workers who returned to their home countries during lockdown had started coming back, the company would only...
Numsa claims at least 66 mineworkers are stranded at the hostel without money to return home after they were told there was no space for them.
Numsa claimed that even with a skeleton staff, the mine had failed to comply with safety standards.
Numsa's Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said that as far as the union was aware, Harmony Gold had not implemented the necessary steps to ensure that the workplace was safe.
President Cyril Ramaphosa agreed last week to partially ease a national lockdown that temporarily shut all mines, except for some production of coal, the main fuel used for power generation in Africa’s most industrialised nation.
The R118 billion gold producer picked Harmony Gold as the buyer for its last remaining South African operations.
The gold miner said in May it will review divestment options for its South African assets, which include the world’s deepest mine, as it looks to streamline its portfolio and focus on assets that deliver higher returns.
Amcu has been on strike at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold operations since mid-November in a pay dispute and wanted to extend the strike to at least 15 other companies.
No other details were immediately available but NUM last month inked a three-year wage deal with AngloGold Ashanti that saw a 12% pay hike for entry-level underground workers in the first year.
Amcu signed an agreement with AngloGold Ashanti which tabled a 6.5% increase for mineworkers.
The union on Tuesday vowed to cripple the sector after accusing Sibanye Stillwater, Harmony Gold and Village Main Reef of negotiating in bad faith.
Talk Radio 702 host Xolani Gwala spoke to Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa who says negotiations with three mining companies have deadlocked.
Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa says negotiations have deadlocked with Sibanye-Stillwater, Harmony Gold, and Village Main Reef.
The company is due to report full-year results on Tuesday.
Harmony took out loans to partly fund the $300 million acquisition of the Moab Khotsong mine earlier this year in a deal that the company said would significantly boost its operational cash flow.
Amcu believes management was aware of the possible dangers of mining in the area but failed to make contingency plans.
The suit was launched almost six years ago on behalf of miners suffering from silicosis, a fatal lung disease contracted by inhaling silica dust in gold mines.
Production at the mine was brought to a halt when workers went on a wildcat strike over the dismissal of six Amcu branch leaders.
Workers embarked on a wildcat strike last week Friday in protest of the sacking of six Amcu branch leaders over several cases of illegal demonstrations this year.