The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) has called on the Department of Mineral Resources (DMRE) to revoke the license of Seriti Coal Mines in Mpumalanga.
This after the mine announced that it planned to retrench over 100 workers due to commercial sustainability issues.
The mine has cited uncompetitive unit costs, freight rail inefficiencies and coal market volatility as the reasons behind its decision.
The union disputes this.
AMCU President Joseph Mathunjwa ,”We’ve got brilliant competent miners in Witbank who run small scale mining. Let them have a joint venture with the workers, the workers having an equity spade in these mines.”
“Also the upcoming black miners [can] come in on board which they don’t have this high cost in terms of maintaining this head office in Johannesburg. Let them revoke the license, the minerals belongs to the people, government is only custodians.”
Below is the full interview:
