Amcu's rights 'not violated'

[LazyLion]

Amcu's rights to a strike in the gold mining sector are not unfairly limited in terms of the Constitution, the Labour Court in Johannesburg heard on Friday.

"Section 23 (1) d of the Labour Relations Act does not violate rights as advised by Amcu. It does not violate any right in the Constitution," Brian Lecoge, for the labour department, told the court.

He said the section promoted labour peace which was important to the Labour Relations Act.

The labour minister is cited as a respondent in an application in which the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) is arguing why an interim order granted to the Chamber of Mines, preventing the union from striking in the gold sector, should not be made permanent.

The chamber approached the court after Amcu issued a strike notice to employers in the gold and platinum sectors on January 20.

The union wanted a basic monthly salary of R12,500.

At the time gold producers, through the chamber, concluded a wage agreement with the National Union of Mineworkers, Solidarity, and United Association of SA. The agreement was extended to Amcu.

Feroze Boda, for Amcu, told the court on Thursday that Amcu members' right to strike was being infringed.

Boda said Amcu should have been consulted before a wage agreement reached with other unions in the gold sector was extended to it.

Amcu members in the platinum sector downed tools at Anglo American Platinum, Lonmin, and Impala Platinum on January 23, demanding a basic monthly salary of R12,500.

They have so far rejected the companies' offer that would bring their cash remuneration to R12,500 by July 2017.

The strike has cost the employers R21.2 billion in revenue and employees have reportedly lost R9.4bn in earnings.


Source : Sapa /mm/hdw/jk/lp
Date : 06 Jun 2014 11:53

 

[LazyLion]

AMCU STRIKE A SOCIAL CRISIS: SOLIDARITY

The Amcu strike in the platinum mining sector should be abandoned for the good of all South Africans, trade union Solidarity said on Friday.

"Amcu has to abandon its ideological pie in the sky and act in the best interests of its members and all other South Africans," general secretary Gideon du Plessis said in a statement.

"What started as a strike has now degenerated into a social crisis, which will result in large-scale retrenchment and unemployment of Amcu's striking members, as well as of other innocent, non-striking workers."

Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) members in the platinum sector downed tools at Anglo American Platinum, Lonmin, and Impala Platinum on January 23, demanding a basic monthly salary of R12,500.

They have so far rejected the companies' offer that would bring their cash remuneration to R12,500 by July 2017.

The union is also pursuing its bid to strike for higher wages in the gold mining sector in the Labour Court in Johannesburg.

Du Plessis urged the union not to pursue the case.

"Amcu's court application... is also driven by ideology and should be abandoned as it is not in the best interests of its members or those of the rest of South Africa."

The sustainability of South African mines had already been undermined. Some marginal shafts and mines would be closed or sold to less stable employers.

This could have knock-on effects for miners, contractors, and service providers, as well as businesses that relied, directly or indirectly, on the mines.

"As it is, Amcu has already deprived many of its members and other innocent victims of their jobs through its strike action, even if the strike were to end today.

"Large-scale retrenchments and dismissals resulting from strike-related offences will follow; capital expansion projects that would have resulted in the creation of new jobs will be cancelled; and permanent damage has already been done to shafts because of the long downtime," Du Plessis said.

Mineral Resources Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi, his deputy Godfrey Oliphant, and Deputy Labour Minister Phathekile Holomisa this week met Amcu and CEOs of platinum mining companies separately in an attempt to resolve the strike.


Source : Sapa /mjs/th/lp/jk
Date : 06 Jun 2014 11:42

 

[grok]

The strike has cost the employers R21.2 billion in revenue and employees have reportedly lost R9.4bn in earnings.

Who in their right mind still cares about Amcu's rights?

 

[LazyLion]

JUDGMENT RESERVED IN AMCU CASE

The Labour Court on Friday reserved judgment in a bid by Amcu to strike for higher wages in the gold mining sector.

"We will now await the judgment of the court," Chamber of Mines chief negotiator Elize Strydom said in a statement.

The chamber had approached the court to make permanent an interim order prohibiting strike action by the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union at certain gold mining operations owned by three companies.

They obtained the interim order on January 30 after Amcu issued a notice to strike on January 20.

After the chamber approached the court to finalise the order, Amcu subsequently brought a counter application to the Labour Court to prevent this from taking place.

Strydom said that until judgment was delivered, the interim order remained in place.

"We call on them [Amcu) to continue to respect the order."

The chamber argued that Amcu should not be allowed to strike as it was bound by a wage agreement from September 2013 representing majority unions and thus legally applicable to all workers.

On Thursday, Feroze Boda, for Amcu, told the court that Amcu members' right to strike was being infringed.

Boda said Amcu should have been consulted before a wage agreement reached with other unions in the gold sector was extended to it.

The union wanted a basic monthly salary of R12,500 for workers in the gold sector.

Meanwhile an Amcu strike in the platinum sector continues into its fifth month.

The union's members downed tools at Anglo American Platinum, Lonmin, and Impala Platinum on January 23, demanding a basic monthly salary of R12,500.

They have so far rejected the companies' offer that would bring their cash remuneration to R12,500 by July 2017.

The strike has cost the employers R21.2 billion in revenue and employees have reportedly lost R9.4bn in earnings.


Source : Sapa /ml/jk/lp
Date : 06 Jun 2014 13:55