APA-Johannesburg (South Africa) Over 400 miners have been fired for conducting an illegal sit-in during an underground protest over workers’ rights at South Africa’s Gold One Mine late last year, the mine’s legal expert Ziyaad Hassam has announced.
“We can confirm that 401 employees at Gold One Mine have been dismissed following illegal strikes in October and December last year,” Hassam said on Monday.
He added: “A further 140 employees are currently on suspension, with their hearings likely to take place within the next week.”
The company claimed that the sit-ins were a response to what they considered unlawful labour actions, specifically an ongoing dispute over organising rights at the eastern Johannesburg mine which has two rival unions.
Due to this, the workers downed tools, protesting over the perceived infringement on their organising rights, Hossam said.
The National Union of Mineworkers characterised the incident as a hostage situation, while the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union labelled the demonstration as a voluntary sit-in at the time.
Hossam said the situation escalated when over the 500 miners failed to resurface from an underground shaft at the mine, prompting investigations from the mine authorities.
NM/jn/APA