BACK TO BASICS
Members First

 Phone: +27 (0) 830 123 543
 Email: info@num.org.za
 Website: www.num.org.za

Thursday , March , 28 2024
Subscribe to our News
Name

Search
NUM News
17

Hungry mineworkers face a bleak future at Blyvooruitzicht mine in Carletonville

posted on

National Union of Mineworkers Press Statement, 12 March 2014

Hungry mineworkers face a bleak future at Blyvooruitzicht mine in Carletonville

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) notes with serious concern that the situation at Blyvooruitzicht Mine in Carletonville has taken another turn in that the workers of this company and the surrounding communities are facing a bleak future.

A plethora of woes continue to haunt the operations such as the non-payment of the workforce since September 2013 until today

The current situation can be narrated as follows:

  • The new owners of Blyvooruitzicht mine under the new name called Goldrich failed to fulfill the promise to take under their employment 400 people for the commencement of the operations. 
  • The promise of medical examination for 132 workers has grind to a halt.
  • What has come out lately is that there is a fight between the liquidators and the Goldrich owners through the court of law.
  • The liquidators are now nowhere to be found and are untraceable.
  • The pumping of water by AGA has been stopped due to failure by Goldrich to pay R5 million per month as they committed to do for the services of the water pumping.
  • This has led to the flooding of 9 and 35 levels at Blyvoor number five shaft. If this is not stopped it poses a danger to flood the whole shaft and possibility of spreading to other nearby mines.
  • Workers doing essential services work are not being paid as promised and are taken from pillar to post.
  • An HR personnel who is doing the HR work for the liquidators discovered an amount R162, 000.00 in cash in the office of the Engineering Manager Mr Ettieen Erasmus on the 07 March 2014. This money was used to pay those workers who complained about non – payment and each was given R2000 Mr Erasmus is currently in custody in connection with charges of theft, illegal possetion of gold nuggets, fraud and defeating the ends of justice.
  • The promise by the liquidators that workers will be paid their services money in March 2014 is a doubtful fact. 
  • On the 10 March 2014 the security companies known as Lwazi and Masakhane which are giving service to Goldrich embarked on a protest demanding their salaries. This matter was temporary resolved by the newly appointed Business Rescue Practitioner who promised to take up their complaint as he claimed to be in charged. 
  • The company which has taken over Blyvoor village has also threatened to talk to Eskom to stop power supply if residents are not able to pay R3, 500 per household on monthly basis for electricity. It must be remembered that residents of Blyvoor Villages have been without jobs and salaries since September 2013.
  • We are now told that Goldrich management has appointed business rescue practitioner and the liquidators are opposing this in court.The people of Blyvoor are living in fear as zama zamas knock in their doors during the night demanding money and if this is not given they resort into raping, and threaten to kill the occupants. This matter requires serious attention of the law enforcement agencies.

 

We call on the liquidators to take decisive action on the Blyvoor situation and to bear in mind that thousands of the workforce currently live in a dire situation. The NUM is extremely saddened of this calamity facing our members. The Blyvoor workers are still waiting for Godot to come with their hard earned cash to no avail. Instead, it has been one empty promise after another.

For more information, Please contact: Livhuwani Mammburu: 083 809 3257 (Acting NUM National Spokesperson)

Frans Baleni: 082 375 6443 (NUM General Secretary)
Richard Xati: 072 757 9222( NUM Carletonville Deputy Secretary for Education)


Source Url: http://www.num.org.za/News/tabid/91/entryid/58/-hungry-mineworkers-face-a-bleak-future-at-blyvooruitzicht-mine-in-carletonville.aspx
Categories: NUM | Tags: | Comments: (0) | View Count: (39071) | Return

Post a Comment

About Us
The National Union of Mineworkers was founded in 1982.

Its birth was facilitated by comrades Cyril Ramaphosa who rose to be its first General Secretary, James Motlatsi who turned to be its first President, and Elijah Barayi who became its Vice President and later the President of Cosatu in 1985 when the federation was formed. porn