ANA reports that the National Union of Mineworkers Women’s Structure will embark on a national march to the Chamber of Mines, Eskom and SA Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors (Safcec) on Saturday.  

It will hand over a memorandum of grievances relating to transformation and women empowerment at various workplaces.  “Gender discrimination still prevails in the mining industry, with women comprising a mere 10.9% of the entire workforce.  This figure includes women who are doing general work, those on the surface and traffic calmers in construction,” said NUM Women’s Structure national secretary Phumeza Mgengo.  “Most women are being subjected to heavy lifting duties leading them to suffer from back and waist pains, and that alone contributes to disturbed productive cycles and unnecessary miscarriages,” she claimed.  Mgengo also said women still occupied low paying positions with fewer opportunities for development and empowerment, with serious salary disparities.

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