Last Update -Friday 25 April 2014, 16:38
Solidarity declares platinum belt partial disaster area as a result of strike
WEDNESDAY, 23 APRIL 2014 06:22 WRITTEN BY EDITOR E-mailPrintPDF
solidarityhelpinghandMining Weekly Online reports that union Solidarity has declared the platinum belt a partial disaster area and has sent in its helping-hand organisation to assist its non-striking members in the towns of Rustenburg, Brits and Mooinooi. “Non-strikers also lose a substantial part of their income and struggle to meet their financial obligations, without being responsible for the situation in any way whatsoever,” said Solidarity CEO Flip Buys, who explained that much of the remuneration of platinum company employees was production-linked. “Therefore, when production is suspended it’s not only the strikers who lose their income,” he said, adding that also hard-hit were many of the employees of companies that have had their contracts terminated as a result of the strike. The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union’s (Amcu’s) damaging strike, which commenced on 23 January, has already seen 26% lopped off yearly earnings of rand-and-file mineworkers, who lose 2% of their salary for every week that they are not at work. Solidarity has, meanwhile, contributed R100,000 to an emergency fund that has already resulted in food and other essential provisions being distributed to some 170 Solidarity members. Solidarity Helping Hand CE Danie Brink describes as urgent the need for nappies and infant formula.
Read this report at Mining Weekly Online
Read a report in Afrikaans at Maroela Media
