Bloomberg writes that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), which dominated organised labour across SA’s platinum belt until the massacre at Lonmin’s Marikana mine in 2012, is plotting a comeback.
By the end of this year, it wants to represent 30% of the more than 167,000 workers at the world’s four biggest platinum producers, NUM President Joseph Montisetse indicated last week. The union currently represents 18% of Impala Platinum’s workforce and 11% at Lonmin. He didn’t give figures for Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) or Sibanye-Stillwater, has taken over Lonmin. “We have a clear target. I’ve appointed myself to platinum (recruitment efforts),” Montisetse said. According to Montisetse, the NUM currently has 187,000 audited members in total. Its rival – the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) – claims it has 250,000 members across the mining industry. Montisetse commented that, while the NUM did not want to profit from another union’s problems, Amcu had its own challenges. Amcu is currently facing a threat of deregistration as a recognised union by the regulator because it allegedly has not complied with its constitution by failing to hold a regular congress and leadership elections.
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