Wesizwe Platinum says employees at its Bakubung Platinum Mine in South Africa have embarked on an illegal sit-in.
It said the sit-in started on 6 December 2023 when employees chose not to return to surface at the end of their shift.
This led to the failure of the next shift to assume their responsibilities.
“On the same day and afternoon, management acted swiftly to diffuse and correct the situation,” said Wesizwe.
“This has been done by having a meeting with the representatives of the aggrieved and participating employees of the underground sit-in.”
It said several issues have been outlined as the grievances and causes of the underground sit-in.
These, it said, include changes to the minimum requested remuneration for employees, changes to employees’ benefits, subsidies and working conditions.
“Management’s intervention plan includes continuous discussion and negotiations with those involved to end the underground sit-in as soon as possible,” said Wesizwe.
“As a short-term intervention, management … cancelled the morning and afternoon shifts on Thursday, 7 December 2023. This [was] to ensure the safety of the rest of our staff and eliminate possibilities of community unrest, which may arise and pose a danger to staff and mine assets.”
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
