The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) Kimberley Region is deeply annoyed and disgusted by the arrogant behaviour displayed by Four Arrows Mining and Engineering Company. The company continues to disrespect and trample on the rights of workers bestowed on them and protected by the country’s labour laws. It is playing hide and seek, avoiding allowing the NUM to deliver its memorandum raising various issues affecting its members.

One thorny issue to be raised with the company is the short time application to cut salaries of workers by more than 25%. The Four Arrows Mining and Engineering Company operates at two different mines, the United Manganese of Kalahari (UMK) and the Kudumane Manganese Resources (KMR). This short-time cut currently amounts to a 25% cut of the monthly salaries of the employees (they apply by 2 days unpaid at UMK and 3 days unpaid at KMR).

The company is refusing workers to participate in organised trade union mass meetings. Instead, the company is dictating on how workers should organise themselves. “The Four Arrows Management is pushing us against our’ will to handover our memorandum of concerns to Kathu offices or Bloemfontein head offices where there is less number of workers. Majority of workers are at these two operations, KMR and UMK Mines”, said Mosepedi Sanane, NUM Kimberley Regional Secretary.

According to the country’s labour laws, every worker has the right to form and join a trade union of his or her choice and to participate in the union’s activities. This company’s greediness and arrogant decisions would heavily impact on the livelihoods and pockets of about 1,000 employees. “The company has made it clear to us that what matters to them is production and profit and therefore they cannot allow any joint mass meetings”, said Sanane.

The NUM Kimberley Region is going to forcefully deliver a memorandum of demands to the employer this coming Friday. By law, an employer may not prohibit employees from discussing matters related to their salaries or wages because such right is a legal entitlement bestowed upon the employee by Act of Parliament. The NUM Kimberley Region is well prepared and ready to fight tooth and nail for the rights of all workers employed at the company.