NUM Announces March against Sale of Kimberley Mines
January 06, 16
(IDEX Online News) – South Africa’s National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) Kimberley Mines Branch has announced that it will march against De Beers Kimberley Mines to express their disapproval of the forthcoming sale of Kimberley Mines to Ekapa Mining and Petra Diamonds.
The NUM said in a press release that its members will be “voicing their anger, disappointment and sadness by the manner in which De Beers sold Kimberley Mines… without consultation.”
The union is calling for the sale to halted and for De Beers to restart the consultation process taking the Labour Relations Act into account, thereby ensuring sustainable employment and job security.
Some 600 employees could be affected by the sale.
“We believe that De Beers has got a hidden agenda since it is only known for its bad legacy of extracting our country’s minerals and exploiting our people to the latter,” said the NUM.
“There is nothing to write home about in terms of De Beers Corporate Social Responsibility, beneficiation, providing and facilitating secondary economy, let alone transforming the industry.”
The union said it will fight to “the bitter end” to claim money owing to workers since March 2014 in the form of shares.
The march is scheduled to take place on January 14.