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SQUALOR: Workers at Gold Fields mine in Carletonville live in miserable conditions with little or no privacy. Photo: Elizabeth Sejake

DORMITORIES: Mineworkers are forced to share bathroom-sized hostel rooms. PHOTO: LINDILE SIFILE

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About 15,000 mineworkers have been on strike over wages since early September, demanding an increase to R12,500.

On the other hand, the mine's CEO Nick Holland earns R36.6-million a year, including a performance based bonus, according to media reports.

"If management doesn't fix the situation and listen to the workers, we might end up with another Marikana situation on our hands," said miner Mkhululi Mngwangwa, who was washing laundry in a filthy communal bathroom during Sowetan's visit to the workers' hostel recently.

At Lonmin in Marikana, North West, 44 people including two policemen, two guards and mineworkers died in the violence that erupted after the workers had gone on strike, also demanding a pay hike to R12,500.

Mngwangwa said their strike was different to Marikana when it started.

"The main issue was that the salary scale was not the same," he said. "Each shaft was using its own scale, which was unfair."

He stays with a friend in a bathroom-sized room in Ekuthuleni Hostel. They sleep in a double bunk and have little space to store their belongings.

Three other miners live in the adjacent two rooms; and they all share the bathroom and lounge. The three communal showers don't have doors and the toilets are broken.

Ekuthuleni is a hostel for single men with a small marketplace at the entrance with stalls for loose cigarettes, fruits and chips.

The prices at the main supermarket where miners buy most of their groceries are inflated. A 10kg bag of maize meal and flour is sold for R60, R10 more than its normal price, while a 2-litre bottle of Coca-Cola, which normally costs R13, is R19 at the supermarket.

Besides the prices, other facilities like banks and, in some instances, clinics are only available 10km away in Carletonville.

Mngwangwa's R8,000 take-home salary is not enough to cater for his expenses as he has to send money home to Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape.

His monthly expenses include R3,000 for his two children at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, R2,500 for his wife and another R600 for school transport for his other two children.

He spends R1,000 on groceries, leaving him with less than R1,000 to spend on his other needs.

Elias Nkuna, 51, of Letsatsing village, has been working at Gold Fields as a plumber since 1985. He earns R4,000. He has four children and his wife is unemployed.

"I have to pay R20 for a taxi to drive me to town if I need a clinic, bank or post office.

"We are not getting proper services here and people seem to think we are exaggerating when we demand R12,000," Nkuna said.

- sifilel@sowetan.co.za

Comments

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Mon May 20 15:05:20 SAST 2013 ::

Sep 25, 2012

MorenaWaPolelo

The strike is illegal go back to work!!!!!!!!!
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Sep 25, 2012

MommaC

Logically, the majority of the CEO's salary is made up of production bonuses or share returns.
Mathematically, 16,600,000 / 15,000 = 2,400 / 12 = R203 per month

There are professional people who are paying off study loans who don't get R8,000 a month after deductions. Hell there are some who don't get R8,000 a month BEFORE deductions.

I do feel for the guy but the alternative is that mines mechanise, reduce manpower by about two thirds and start demanding a tertiary education before employing someone. That would be disastrous
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Sep 25, 2012

Papage

I sometimes dont understant Unions, they say they talk on behalf of Workers, but look at the living conditions these miners find themselved living in, their rooms are like Sheeeeeeeeeeeeee dont know, please assist these people, it is not only about salaries, their health should come first, the type of food they are eating makes one wonder and the Bosses are resturanting in Sandton with their business partners. Vavi must do the talk and if they can't they must admit it. Mines homes and their living standard are just a mess
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Sep 25, 2012

MorenaWaPolelo

Papage
The question is what are these health and occupational people doing cause they visit the mine every month
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Sep 25, 2012

Papage

They get bribed by the mine management and then give out a good report I guess. Just go to the mining compound you will see what I am talking about, it is a shame
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Sep 25, 2012

YSJones1

"NUM would also be prepared to take action against its own leadership at
mines where workers have complaints against such officials. When a
mineworker becomes a permanent union official, he is due many benefits,
including promotion to white-collar work, allowances and a trade union
car."
"These incentives were being abused," Baleni confessed.

NUM Branch leaders are corrupt, and signing lucrative deals with management to benefit themselves. Comrades at the KDC mine are on an illegal strike because of the lies and no transparecy from their branch leadership. and luckily the had the decency to withdraw from the positions as they know that they are guilty. I hope others are learning that things have a way of coming up.
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Sep 25, 2012

Mamamedium

In this life we are living in what counts is the paper you got from school, college or university and not the strenght. Director are going to earn a lot because they use their brain and not their stength. Secondly what their are loosing is their bonuses their salaries are insured, should the mine close they are not going to suffer like the groung people, they are on top.
The union shouls really atart putting the welfare on these people instead of their own, they must explain why the top people earn so much and them so little, that is the equation or balance of top and bottom. Hope the strike will be over soon
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Sep 25, 2012

skwamasamabele

MommaC- I think you need to go back to your school and demand your money back from your maths teacher. Some orifices are not meant for talking. I worked on the mines, it is the most dangerous job on the planet, comparing it with infantry (army) and oil-rigs. Those workers SHOULD be paid a decent wage. price of gold ($1400/ounce) does not reflect on their poverty wages, working conditions and living conditions.
If you worked on the mines MommaC, you'd know what they are on about
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Sep 25, 2012

Tabza325is

@MommaC, why do people like you feel the need to justify large salaries earned by most CEO out there, why is it wrong for a low payed worker to demand better salary.
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Sep 25, 2012

MommaC

skwamasamabele

which part of my math was wrong?
Please do point out the mathematical error so I can sue Ms Drummond for my school fees back
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