Violence and death mar Amcu’s strike at Sibanye
Amcu’s violent strike at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold mines, which has left one person dead, could spread to the company’s platinum mines
The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) has no immediate intention of calling off its strike at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold mines, despite high levels of violence in which a miner was shot dead on Wednesday night. The strike to protest for higher wages despite a settlement signed with three other unions to agree a three-year contract would be extended to Sibanye’s platinum mines around Rustenburg in a sympathy strike, which was within Amcu’s rights, Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa said on Thursday. He blamed the violence, which has included shootings, stabbings and beatings at the Beatrix, Kloof and Driefontein gold mines, on Sibanye and its security personnel as a mechanism to seek a court interdict against the protected strike, and to protect production. Mathunjwa said the company had set rival unions against each other and that security personnel discriminated against Amcu members. "We are not fighting anybody. It's too early to say we will call off the strike....
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