| Tue 28 Jun 2005, 9:42 | | Gold mines paralysed by Cosatu strike |
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Gold mines paralysed by Cosatu strike
June 28, 2005
By Nicky Smith and Mokgadi Pela
Johannesburg - Cosatu`s nationwide strike kept up to 80 percent of gold miners away from work yesterday while other sectors faltered as tens of thousands of workers took to the streets in protest against job losses and unemployment.
Frans Barker, the senior executive at the Chamber of Mines, said coal was the second most badly affected mining sector with 70 percent of its workforce absent. On the platinum and diamonds mines, there was an average turnout of 50 percent.
Barker said it was virtually impossible to guess how much of South Africa`s daily mineral exports of R400 million was affected or whether the production could be made up.
`With such a high stayaway figure, it`s virtually impossible to make it up,` Barker said. AngloGold Ashanti spokesperson Steve Lenahan said all of its South African mines had shut down.
`None of our 27 000 employees are at work today,` Lenahan said yesterday. AngloGold planned to meet with the unions to discuss ways to make up for the lost production.
AngloGold produces about 350kg of gold a day and at yesterday`s gold price the day`s production had a value of about R33 million.
John Bredenham, the chief executive of South Deep, said `disappointingly` only a few employees had arrived at work.
`Today was just a bloody waste of time and a nuisance,` he said, adding that there would be no opportunity to make up the lost production.
Gold Fields had a mixed turnout, according to spokesperson Willie Jacobsz. Production losses totalled about 150kg of gold for the day, he said.
Barker said the relatively heavy participation in the sector was not surprising since workers might also be sending a message on wage talks.
Cosatu`s biggest affiliates, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the National Union of Metalworkers of SA, said between 50 percent and 100 percent of workers across the country stayed away.
Moferefere Lekorotsoane, the NUM`s communication chief, said: `It almost looked like a NUM march with our banners and posters dominating the city centre.`
The Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers` Union said 90 percent of its members joined the strike. Over 40 000 members have lost their jobs since January 2003.
The SA Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers` Union said over 60 percent of members stayed away.
Cosatu said its action had sent a message to the government and business that they should do more to create jobs, support local industry and buy more South African and less foreign goods.
`We cannot say the economy is booming when we have unemployment at around 40 percent,` said Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven.
`We want a completely different mind-set from business - saving jobs instead of cutting them for short-term commercial gain.`
The government said the strike would not force a change in policy.
Pick `n Pay Stores said 61 percent of its workers heeded the strike call.
Shoprite said less than 45 percent and Woolworths said about 5 percent of its staff had stayed away.
Martin Dealle of Edgars Consolidated Stores said about 6.5 percent of its staff did not arrive for work.
The SA Chamber of Business said many workers had ignored the strike. Only four of 25 businesses canvassed by the chamber reported that more than half their staff were absent, said Johan Zietsman, the chamber`s head of labour policy.
Cosatu is planning further protests, including provincial walkouts culminating in another half-day national strike on September 19. - Additional reporting by Reuters, Bloomberg and Business Report staff
