Amcu's demands remain unreasonable, strike must end now - Solidarity

Trade union Solidarity today once again appealed to the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) to abandon its latest wish list and to accept the offer of employers in the platinum industry, which would bring the devastating strike in the sector to an end after 21 weeks. Amcu's reaction to the employers' latest offer contains nearly as many unrealistic demands as before. Solidarity also urged Amcu to sign the Framework Agreement for a Sustainable Mining Industry, the importance of which was emphasised by President Jacob Zuma in his State of the Nation Address.

According to Gideon du Plessis, General Secretary of Solidarity, Amcu's latest set of demands shows that the union is trying to save its lost reputation. "Amcu's latest demands border on negotiating in bad faith, as the union keeps shifting the goalposts. Amcu's members, as well as the innocent non-striking workers, have already paid a high price for the paralysing strike. The retrenchments that will result from the strike will lead to a great deal more suffering and disruption."

Du Plessis moreover indicates that some of Amcu's new demands border on defeating the ends of justice. Amcu is demanding that criminal charges laid against its striking members be withdrawn and that any disciplinary action against its members be called off. Moreover, Amcu is demanding the reappointment of its members who have already been dismissed owing to serious offences.

"It therefore seems that Amcu condones criminal and other serious offences that may have been committed by its members. We appeal to Amcu to end its path of destruction and to accept the offer that is now on the table. We also appeal to the employers to continue with legal action in connection with any strike-related offences, thereby ensuring that unacceptable behaviour is not simply excused," says Du Plessis.

Du Plessis says that some of the employers in the platinum industry are believed to have compiled a dossier of damning information regarding incidents of serious violence and intimidation with a view to bringing a court application to have the strike declared dysfunctional.

"This court application was not brought last week and appears to have been a scare tactic that was used to get Amcu to reach an agreement. However, a strike is a labour issue that concerns a worker's right to withhold labour as part of a negotiating process with an employer. The worker's right to strike does not imply that he also has the right to commit violence and intimidation. We therefore appeal to the employers not to sweep the information they have gathered under the carpet."

"President Jacob Zuma emphasised in his State of the Nation Address that the Presidency is going to go ahead with the implementation of the Framework Agreement for a Sustainable Mining Industry which was signed by all stakeholders, with the exception of Amcu, last year. We therefore call on Amcu to also now sign the Framework Agreement and thereby commit themselves to the sustainability and stability of the mining industry," says Du Plessis.

Meanwhile, Solidarity Helping Hand has already distributed basic necessities amounting to millions of rand among non-striking mineworkers in the Rustenburg area and the emergency relief is ongoing.

Statement issued by Gideon du Plessis, General Secretary: Solidarity, June 18 2014

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