South African Mineworkers Protest Alleged Unfair Dismissal

Around 300 workers from the Rex Diamond Mine in Windsorton in the Northern Cape took to the streets on Monday to protest against alleged unfair dismissals although the mine's management says the workers are still employed.

The workers say they were sacked in December with around 400 served with notices ordering them not to come back to work until further notice. The workers say their situation is unclear since management said they were not retrenched but they have not received their salaries either.

The National Union for Mineworkers (NUM) is calling for the reinstatement of the workers and threatening legal action if the case is not appropriately dealt with.

Mine management said the mine’s financial position was good despite previously saying its standing was poor. However, management is not prepared to pay the workers their full salaries despite admitting they have not been laid-off.

Johan Bezuidenhout, a manager at the mine, said: "They are under full employment, they've got the right to resign and look for alternative jobs. As long as they have no opportunity to deliver work for us we can't pay them because no revenue is generated for that."

The NUM has asked the mine-owner “to instruct local management to fully discuss this matter with the NUM and follow all necessary legal steps.  Clearly the 400 workers involved are entitled to clarity in this matter.”

The NUM has given management until tomorrow (Friday) to respond to the memorandum. The union says it will institute legal proceedings if the company fails to respond positively.