JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – An agreement that is said to end a two-year impasse between platinum mining company Impala and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has been hailed by new Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane.
A statement issued by the Department of Mineral Resources to Creamer Media’s Mining Weekly Online on Friday stated that the memorandum of understanding reached would result in workers – who had been asked to leave Impala’s employ over safety concerns during strikes in 2012 – returning to work.
The Minister hailed the accord as being in line with the Framework Agreement for a Sustainable Mining Industry, drawn up by government, business and labour in the wake of last year’s five-month platinum strike.
"We are encouraged that the parties have been able to find each other," said Zwane, who acknowledged the roles played by the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration, South African Police Service, Department of Mineral Resources, NUM and Impala.
At the time of going to press, neither Impala nor NUM had responded to emailed Mining Weekly Online requests for their comments on the Minister’s statement, in which he added that the agreement served as testament to the value of continuous engagement.
In a separate media release, the organisers of the upcoming 2016 Mining Indaba in Cape Town from February 8 to 11 said that they had received Ministry of Mineral Resources confirmation that Zwane would open the yearly professional conference, which is dedicated to the capitalisation and development of mining interests in Africa.
Edited by: Creamer Media Reporter
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