Featured Creator
Gideon du Plessis
Mining communities risk being sidelined as Govt prepares to fight ruling on Mining Charter
IN its recent ruling on the 2018 Mining Charter, the High Court concluded that the charter should not be seen as legislation but as policy. The court also endorsed the “once…
From ‘Boardroom 606’ to Zoom: how wage talks have changed for SA’s mining unions
COLLECTIVE bargaining in South Africa’s mining sector has been under the auspices of the Chamber of Mines (now Minerals Council South Africa) since 1915. Inclusive collective…
Agreement on Covid-19 vaccination critical before gold, coal wage negotiations
WHILE Covid-19 is destroying lives and livelihoods, a legal debate is developing about whether the mining sector could make vaccination compulsory. For instance, there is…
How SA’s mining sector ranks against the rest of the world in combating COVID-19 risks
THE international trade union federation, IndustriALL Global Union, which focuses mainly on the mining and manufacturing sectors, last week hosted an online workshop from Geneva…
Getting mines back is proving a bumpy ride, but it’s crucial for SA’s social, economic well-being
THE mining sector is unique because of the existence of a tripartite structure where the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), the Minerals Council of South Africa…
Resuscitation of Arnot mine a ray of hope following despair of Tegeta era fraud
IN 2015, Exxaro Resources had to close the Arnot Mine near Middelburg (Mpumalanga), which they had operated on behalf of Eskom for 40 years. As a result, just over 1,000…
Getting unions on mining company boards is the best way to revive SA economy
AT last year’s Mining Charter III negotiations, trade unions campaigned for employee representation on company boards. A clause making provision for such representation was…
Test for AMCU’s ‘A Team’ as platinum dispute moves ominously towards strike ballot
THE requirement for unions to run a secret ballot requiring majority support before declaring a strike recently became law in South Africa. The secret ballot goes back to…
SA mining is facing catastrophe unless it can manage the effects of its shrinkage
ACCORDING to the Minerals Council South Africa, full-time employment in the mining sector has shrunk by 56,366 employees over the past five years, from 509 909 in 2013 to 453,543…
Unions should think twice about strikes before committing members to hardship
A CONSEQUENCE of the Association of Mineworkers & Construction Union’s (AMCU’s) four-month long Sibanye-Stillwater strike is that by the end of March the loss of income of the…
Pressures of history, race and radical thought were balanced in Mining Charter
DESPITE the diverse opinions, the Mining Charter 3 reflects a picture that goes beyond its contents. Five elements highlight its background, complexity and value, and explain…
Union rivalry, bully culture, DMR corruption: Inside Sibanye-Stillwaters’ safety summits
THIS year’s mining death toll of 21 at Sibanye-Stillwater mines has exposed this mining house to class action, as well as political attack. To Sibanye’s credit, it has organised…
Mantashe looms large over first – positive – Charter meeting
THE first report back from the stakeholders negotiating the Mining Charter is due on April 10 so it’s probably worth setting down some preliminary observations from the first…
Temptation to draw on retirement leaves mine employees wanting
AS a trustee of one of the country’s major mining retirement funds, and as a trade union official who is often involved in retrenchment processes, I notice time and again that…
How job losses, fatalities and illegal mining are a vicious cycle
WHEN it comes to mining statistics of a negative nature they relate in the first place to the 82 mining deaths that occurred in 2017 and the 11 mine workers who have already lost…
Repairing weak leadership crucial in saving SA’s mining sector
IN a New Year’s message, Chamber of Mines CEO, Roger Baxter, said the Chamber had made progress in the battle against corruption and unethical leadership. He believed this…