David McKay writes that, according to a report by Bloomberg News, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) had “in depth stakeholder engagement” with the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) regarding the impending mining charter redraft.
Luthando Brukwe, head of transformation at the NUM, said that in the engagement the union had asked for at least 10% of mining companies to be owned by employees. It also asked that it be mandatory for producers to help employees buy their own homes. On the principle of ‘once-empowered, always-empowered’, the NUM advised that it should not be recognised (this is the notion that credits given to mining companies for empowerment transactions be recognised by the DMR in perpetuity even if the black-owned party concerned redeems the investment). The comments attributed to the NUM are said to be cause for concern to the Chamber of Mines, which said at its AGM last week that it had not met with the DMR for two months.
- Read this report in full at Miningmx
- See too, Miners frozen out as SA readies new empowerment rules, at Moneyweb
- And also, Revised mining charter due in few weeks, Zuma advises, at eNCA
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