Gold One to act against Amcu ‘kidnappers’

Gold One Modder East Operations is working with the police to identify workers who were behind the recent three-day “hostage” drama.

The company is also instituting disciplinary proceedings against employees responsible for the incident at its mine in Springs, east of Johannesburg.

“We are working with the SAPS to identify the perpetrators and will take appropriate action against them. Similarly, internal disciplinary proceedings will be instituted against all individuals who acted in breach of our code of conduct,” said Ziyaad Hassam, the company’s legal head yesterday.

Gold One is wielding the axe after more than 550 employees spent three days underground from Sunday until Wednesday last week.

While the company, police and labour union National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) have labelled the event as a kidnapping, rival union Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) and some workers said the sit-in was in protest against the company’s failure to award the latter union organisational rights.

The mine alleged that 41 members of Amcu  held their colleagues underground against their will.

Gold One has a closed shop agreement with NUM, which gives the union exclusive organisational rights at the company.

Hassam said the company was yet to resume operations.

“Workers will return to work in a phased approach as management is able to execute a safe return to full production. Management is still assessing the full cost of this incident, as production losses will continue to be suffered until we are able to return to normal operations,” he said.

Hassam said the company has been offering counselling to affected workers. “Counselling had already been offered and we will continue to do so to all those affected by this situation.”

After resurfacing, workers last week told Sowetan they had to survive by eating two slices of bread a day, drinking water and sleeping on rocks. They said those who wanted to return to the surface were assaulted.

Num’s deputy general-secretary Mpho Phakedi called for law enforcement agencies “to arrest the criminals who are responsible for this hostage drama or criminal act”.

“These criminals must not be allowed to walk free and continue to intimidate and threaten our members. The hostage situation that happened at Gold One Mine was a pure act of criminality,” said Phakedi.

Jane Radebe, whose husband spent three days underground, said on Sunday her family was relieved to be reunited with him.

Radebe, however, said her husband was yet to receive a message on when he should return to work.

“His shift was supposed to resume on Monday but he was yet to receive a text from work. Some of his colleagues tried to head to work but were turned back at the gate. Due to this, he is not sure whether he should report for work tomorrow,” she said.

Amcu leadership was not available for comment by the time of going to print.