Impala Platinum reported on Wednesday night that it has successfully resolved the unprotected protest at its Bafokeng Rasimone Platinum Mine. The demonstration, which began on 18 December without union backing, saw 2,205 employees staging an underground sit-in at the North and South shafts.
Royal Bafokeng Platinum Mine. Source: Implats
“As of today, all protesters have safely emerged, with the last group surfacing by 17h05,” said a company representative in a statement.
The company expressed gratitude for the swift resolution, especially considering the protest’s breach of safety regulations and the trend of similar incidents at other mines. Implats emphasised its commitment to employee welfare during the ordeal and to ongoing constructive engagement.
Looking forward, Implats is concentrating on a safe operational shutdown before Christmas, implementing necessary disciplinary actions, and maintaining the mine’s viability in the face of low metal prices.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) admitted that some of the miners who took part in the three-day underground sit-in are disgruntled members who lost out on top union positions.
'Opportunists'
“It’s a worrying trend that within the industry you’ve got these sit-ins but as stakeholders, we need to nip that in the bud and see to it that it does not happen again," regional chairperson Geoffrey Moatshe told the SABC.
"Here at Royal Bafokeng, we don’t think it’s union rivalry, but we think it’s people who are being opportunists. I can confirm that these are some of our own comrades who lost during elections in the branches and who need power at all costs.”
This comes after the union which represents about 80% of the workforce at the Rasimone mine alleged that the mineworkers were “held hostage” underground.
