S. Africa's NUM Opposing Petra Diamonds Mining Rights Application

(IDEX Online) – South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) says it strongly opposes an application by mining firm Petra Diamonds at Swartruggens in the North West Province for further mining rights.

The NUM said that Petra is applying for additional mining rights in an area where it it is going to axe 370 out of 421 permanent employees at the Helam mine in Swartruggens.

NUM Chief Negotiator at Helam Mine Lekhotla Mabea confirmed that the company has applied for rights with the Department of Mineral Resources in the same area, allafrica.com reported.

"We are very surprised … that the company is retrenching 80 percent of its workforce at Helam mine and at the same time it has applied for the mining rights in the same area," Mabea said.

The NUM wrote a letter to the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) objecting to DMR granting Petra Diamonds additional mining rights when it is firing workers at the Helam mine.

The company has declared a dispute against the NUM for refusing to be part of the retrenchment process. The NUM said it will not be forced to agree to the retrenchment happening at Helam mine.

The NUM said it will continue to defend and protect the job security of mineworkers.