Protracted prolonged strike a burden to the workers

The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West is inundated with calls from workers in the platinum mines who have been on strike for the past seven weeks.

The workers, in particular those who are in the Impala area, are indicating that they want to go back to work but they fear for their safety, as there is a lot of violence in the area.

COSATU has noted that the strike is putting serous economic pressure on the workers and the surrounding towns and villages. COSATU believes therefore that it is time to break the strike or this will give rise to criminal activities in the area and in the province at large.

COSATU calls on the employers and the South African Police Service to devise some safe way for the workers in the platinum mines to go back to work and start earning salaries for themselves and their families.

As the federation we believe that the action taken by Impala management of putting all workers on special leave without payment is putting workers under economic challenges which they are facing today.

We call on those workers to approach their employer and demand their work back as we prepare to engage the mine management on their request.

We are also calling for all the negotiating teams, both management and trade union leaders, to resolve the strike before it gets worse. They must think about the future of those learners who are chased away or are not able to go to school due their parents not being able to pay for transport.

The mine workers are also called to unite against the employer for destroying their future.

A protected, prolonged strike is a burden to the mine workers and their families.

Statement issued by Solly Phetoe, Provincial Secretary of COSATU North West, March 11 2014 

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