Sibanye Gold suspends women who refused strip search
In June NUM and Sibanye Gold signed a deal banning workers from taking food into the shafts in an effort to combat illegal mining
Sibanye Gold suspended dozens of women on Friday after they refused to strip as part of measures to stop workers delivering food to illegal miners, the National Union of Miners said. The women who refused the intimate inspection were "assaulted and handcuffed using cable ties as if they are criminals", NUM said in a statement that claimed 52 women were suspended. Sibanye Gold confirmed that it had suspended a number of female employees for "allegedly attempting to assist illegal miners", but put the figure at 45. "It is unacceptable and deplorable what these male security officers are doing at Sibanye Gold Cooke Operations," it added referring to the mine in Westonaria, southwest of Johannesburg. "This is the worst violation of their human rights and degrading to their dignity." Since January, 665 illegal miners have been arrested at the mine, and 123 employees have been suspended for smuggling food and other contraband to the illicit miners, the company said in a statement. In June...
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