Drama continues at the Gold One mine in Springs, Johannesburg, as Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) members stage a protest.
Workers staged a protest on Monday morning outside the mine, demanding that their union, Amcu, be recognised as a major force.
This is after some of the workers gathered at the mine on Sunday night, demanding an official date for recognition.
During the protest, police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at the protesters who chanted Amcu slogans. Police monitored the mineworkers’ protest after a rough situation where they had to fire rubber bullets at the protesters to control it.
It is alleged that workers downed tools a week ago to pursue the recognition matter. Last week, workers staged a protest at the mine, accusing the mine of cancelling their work shifts. They called for the balloting process to be expedited.
Speaking to IOL, a union delegate at the mine, Musa Khalipha, said their only reason for the protest was for Amcu to be recognised instead of the NUM.
He stressed that NUM rules oversee the mine with few members, yet Amcu with more numbers cannot be given mere recognition.
"That is only our problem and nothing else," he said.
Police and private security personnel are on high alert on the scene to monitor and stabilise the situation.
Last month, the mine suspended operations after over 500 workers affiliated with Amcu staged a sit-in underground, also demanding that it give them a majority union status.
All the miners who were involved in the sit-in emerged, others with minor injuries. The miners were underground amid a dispute between Amcu and NUM trade unions.
IOL Politics