Latest labour dispute at Gold One Modder East Mine enters the second day
The Gold One Modder East mine remains on shaky ground with yet another hostage drama at its Springs operation as a fresh labour dispute enters a second day.
It’s understood a small group of Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) supporters, masked in balaclavas, blocked the shaft entrance, trapping close to 500 miners.
The employees are disgruntled over the mine’s decision to fire workers who took part in an illegal strike almost two months ago that resulted in a hostage situation at the time.
The mine’s head of legal, Ziyaad Hassam, said the protracted labour dispute could spell trouble for the business.
“We haven’t counted the cost of this situation, but a day’s production is in the region of R10 million to R12 million that we would be counting as losses.
“We haven’t even been able to ramp up operations to full capacity since the last incident. So, we’ve had a very poor November, and it looks like we will have a very poor December.”
Hassam said the company planned to beef up security after the mine’s in-house investigator was shot dead outside his home earlier in the week.
He said the senior official was a key part of the disciplinary hearings against workers implicated in October’s illegal strike.
“It was an unfortunate loss of life, a senseless loss of life for one of our long-serving employees. It is a concern for us as mine management, and we are taking every precaution we can to ensure that security is beefed up.”
-EWN
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