NUM threatens strike at Anglo coal unit
November 8, 2009
South Africa's biggest workers' union will hold a strike at Anglo American's coal unit if company officials fail to respond to demands for better working conditions and benefits, the union's spokesman said on Sunday.
Lesiba Seshoka, spokesman for the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said hundreds of workers had delivered the list of demands to Anglo Coal in Johannesburg during a protest march on Saturday and would give the company a week to reply.
"We have given Anglo Coal seven days to respond to the demands and to tell us what processes they will take to act on the demands," Seshoka told Reuters.
"If they do not respond within that period then we will have an indefinite strike action."
The demands include a call for the company to fulfill its pledge to provide funeral cover to families of miners and for it to build childcare facilities for its female employees.
The union said Anglo had failed to fulfill the child care agreement, reached in 2002/2003, and also accused the company of victimisation of its workers over HIV/AIDS.
Anglo Coal chief executive Ben Magara received the memorandum of demands on behalf of the company, which has promised to respond, Seshoka said.
South Africa's coal producers and mineworkers agreed a two-year wage deal in July under which coal mining firms agreed to pay an increase on average of between 9 to 10 percent, while wages for entry level workers would increase by 11 percent. (Reporting by Muchena Zigomo; Editing by Greg Mahlich) - Reuters
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