Strikes Threaten Coal Sector

If an agreement cannot be reached on the future structure and form of wage nego­tiations in the coal sector, unions have threatened to strike, says Solidarity mining industry deputy general secretary Connie Prinsloo.

- Marleny Arnoldi

“It is unfortunate that it has got to the stage of a formal dispute. We hope that the coal employers will honour the agreement we had to discuss matters further. If we don’t strike, having failed to reach an amicable solution, then it is a sign of weakness. The employers are, therefore, forcing us to strike,” he tells Mining Weekly.

Solidarity believes in a sustainable mining industry, he says, and it will, therefore, never negotiate or strike its members out of jobs. “There are economic realities that we are deeply aware of, and any strike, dispute or labour unrest will not be conducive to enhancing investors’ confidence in our mining industry.”

Chamber of Mines (CoM) employment relations head Motsammai Motlhamme also says a strike would be detrimental for all par­ties. “The companies would lose production and employees would lose out on salaries. The CoM will seek constructive engagement with the unions to find an amicable solution to reach mutually agreeable outcomes.”

In January, Solidarity accused the CoM of negotiating in bad faith and having gone against its stated mandate, which the CoM had confirmed to all unions on January 20, when it agreed that centralised negotiations would still be held. The chamber also reite­ rated its wish that the negotiations be subject to a strict protocol to ensure an efficient and speedy process, to which all unions pre­ sent agreed.