BusinessLive reports that the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) has urgently sought to appeal a Labour Court ruling that its proposed secondary strikes at a host of other mines would be unprotected.  

The strike by the union’s members at Sibanye-Stillwater’s local gold mines is well into its fifth month.  Amcu called for the secondary strike at major gold and platinum mines, as well as those of vanadium and chrome producers, to put pressure on Sibanye to accede to its wage demands.  Labour Court judge Connie Prinsloo ruled on 15 March that such action would be unprotected because its impact on other mining companies would be out of proportion with the existing gold strike and that it would not have a direct impact on Sibanye’s gold mines.  In its application for leave to appeal, Amcu argued that Prinsloo had “erred” in her findings and that in its view a secondary strike was indeed “reasonable in relation to the possible direct or indirect effect” it would have on Sibanye’s gold assets.  It also maintained it had a constitutional right to strike.  Amcu’s lawyers argued that Prinsloo’s reading of the Labour Relations Act was too narrow and her judgment was not supported by the wording of the section governing secondary strikes.  The union furthermore argued that Prinsloo had erred in saying that the Mineral Council SA’s membership compact meant other mining companies could not prevail on Sibanye to negotiate an end to the strike with Amcu.

• Read the full original of Allan Seccombe’s report in the above regard at BusinessLive

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