Seven workers killed as skip falls 240m at gold mine in Zimbabwe

The accident happened at Bucks Mine near Gwanda on 14 May and the bodies of the deceased workers have since been retrieved after recovery efforts by the ministry of mines and mining development and other mine rescue teams. According to reports, by using an 8 mm wire rope to hoist the skip to the surface, the mine owners were dicing with the workers’ lives.

According to a government audit of occupational health and safety in the mines, there is inadequate monitoring of small and medium scale mines resulting in most of the mines not complying with health and safety standards. Mining inspection were also not being carried out.

Further, there were no risk assessment policies and programmes at the mines, and workers were not provided with personal protective equipment. The audit recommended comprehensive training for the mine managers.

Justice Chinhema, general secretary of the Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union says:

“We would like to express heartfelt condolences to the families of the seven workers who died in the accident. Our union has repeatedly raised concerns that safety regulations are being ignored in the artisanal and small-scale mines. This accident could have been avoided if safety standards were practiced. The union will assist the deceased workers families to sue the mine owners for compensation as the deaths are due to negligence.”

Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL director for mining, who is also responsible for health and safety says:

“We are shocked to receive the news of the death of the mine workers due to negligence by the employer. It is the responsibility of mine owners to ensure that they always adhere to mine safety standards. It is appalling for mine owners to use sub-standard and makeshift equipment that put the workers lives at risk. To deal with this violation of workers’ rights to safety, we will continue to advocate for unions to demand better health and safety conditions in the mines and have set up the Sub-Saharan Africa health and safety platform to equip unions on how this can be done.”

Just Transition prominent at mining indaba discussions

Discussions ranged from climate change impacts with a focus on transition minerals – cobalt, copper, manganese, nickel, lithium, zinc, to the future of coal mining in the context of climate change, including implications of the war between Russia and Ukraine, and energy security supply risks.

The Mining Indaba had keynote addresses and an official opening from three presidents: Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa, Mokgweetsi Masisi, Botswana and Hakainde Hichilema, Zambia, who emphasized on the potential of the mining industry to stimulate economic development, industrialization, and job creation.

Speaking at the Mining Association of Canada’s Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) panel, Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL mining director. raised the twin challenges of greenwashing by the mining industry and the disproportionate attention by the industry and governments on emission reduction over the social impacts.

IndustriALL mining director Glen Mpufane

“The lack of transparency and meaningful consultation, dialogue and engagement, contributes to greenwashing. Meaningful engagement for workers and communities find expression in a truly multi-stakeholder, credible and robust standard system which goes to the heart of governance. The requirement for genuine dialogue must reflect at mine site level as well, where workers through their trade unions and community- based organization are brought into the conversation.
"Engagement tools towards that goal must be developed between global unions and individual mining companies and better still mining associations like TSM and the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM).”

The Alternative Mining Indaba (AMI), a parallel forum of the corporate-led Mining Indaba made up of mine affected communities, civil society organizations, faith-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, and others, was held under the theme: “A just energy transition for sustainable mining communities in a climate crisis era”.

At the AMI, Mpufane reiterated the trade union position that Just Transition should go beyond reducing carbon emissions.

“The link between energy transition and climate change is not linear and neutral, but political. COP26 forged a climate change mother of all social movements that is committed to a transition that is fair, just, and equitable; and that resists false solutions and greenwash from rich governments and corporations, and solutions that perpetuate poverty and inequality.”

IndustriALL affiliates in the mining sector from Lesotho, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, with support from the IndustriALL Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) Regional Office and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Trade Union Competence Centre for SSA, participated in the indabas to discuss decent work, including workers and human rights, and the formalization of artisanal and small-scale mining in SSA. In a session on the Kimberley Process, there were calls to include workers and human rights violations by state entities especially in the Marange community in Zimbabwe.

Eswatini garment workers continue strike amid intimidation and harassment

The workers determination comes amid attempts to stop the strike through intimidation and harassment by the police and the army. The union says the security forces are going as far as visiting workers homes and demanding that the workers must go back to work or face eviction from their places of residence. According to reports teargas has been fired into some of the residences.

Wander Mkhonza, ATUSWA secretary general says:

“Although we are fatigued – it has been a long five weeks – the strike goes on. We will continue to fight with everything within our power as a union until our demands are met. We are only fighting for living wages for our members, and I would like to emphasize that this is a labour dispute between workers and the employer. However, we are shocked by the threats to our members by security forces who are not part of the wage dispute.”

Contrary to the action by the security forces, the ministry of labour and social security said in its Workers’ Day statement that the government respected the International Labour Organization (ILO) “fundamental principles and rights at work.” Earlier the ministry had said the Amalgamated Trade Union of Swaziland (ATUSWA), affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, should take the grievances to the Textile and Apparel Sector Wages Council which is composed of employers, workers, and the government.

ATUSWA, which is leading the strike, says instead of addressing the wage dispute, the employers are colluding with the Government of Eswatini, which is supposed to be neutral, to intimidate and harass the union and the strikers.

Around 2,000 workers met on 2 May at Nhlangano industrial area – a hub of textile and garment factories – to reaffirm their commitment to the strike action. Some walked for more than 8 km to attend the mass meeting where 30 workers spoke in support of the strike, which they say must continue until their demands for living wages are met.

Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa says:

“We support the ATUSWA led strike and the demands for living wages as the cost of living is going up. As per IndustriALL congress resolution we call on the government of Eswatini to respect workers’ rights to strike and to collective bargaining. The government must respect the workers human rights and stop the intimidation and harassment.”

South African metalworkers conference discusses bargaining strategies in a changing world of work

IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) held a national bargaining conference on 11-13 April in Boksburg, near Johannesburg, to discuss the metalworkers’ bargaining strategy for the 2022 round of negotiations. The conference focused on living wages, benefits, and conditions of service.

The conference was attended by 288 delegates from the sectors that NUMSA organizes including automotive, motor components, garages, and tyre manufacturing. Other key sectors are the energy sector that covers workers from the power utility Eskom, and the metals and engineering sectors. In-house agreements where the union allowed some companies to negotiate separate house agreements – outside of central bargaining – were also discussed.

Speakers at the conference were drawn from the department of mineral resources and energy, Statistics South Africa, and research institutions that included the Trade and Industrial Policies Strategies (TIPS) and provided the country’s social and economic context and the implications for collective bargaining.

The national bargaining conference made recommendations on the various sectors. For example, on the auto sector, the conference concluded that the transition from the internal combustion engine to electrical vehicles must not lead to job losses but should instead protect workers’ interests as per government policies that included the 2025 automotive masterplan. Further, local procurement of some components remained key for the survival of some industries on the value chain.

On Just Transition, the union says this must be done in a sustainable and affordable way that considered the country’s energy mix of coal, nuclear and renewable energy. Further, coal power stations must not be shut down without guarantees of job security and a Just Transition plan that protected workers and human rights. The conference urged Eskom to stop power outages that have led to huge losses for the economy.

On state-owned enterprises, the conference recommended wage increases that cushioned against inflation of at least 7 per cent at Eskom while wage arrears should be paid to workers at South Africa Airways and Denel. The conference rejected the privatization of state-owned enterprises, arguing that they produced public goods.

In the steel and engineering sector, the union said the steel masterplan must be preserved to promote manufacturing and stop the deindustrialization of the sector which is leading to job losses.

Irvin Jim, NUMSA general secretary said:

“This conference is a platform for us to discuss not only how we must position ourselves organizationally, but also how we envision organizing and mobilizing beyond this round of negotiations to consolidate workers’ bargaining power.
“The national bargaining conference’s task is to continuously reposition NUMSA’s bargaining strategies in relation to the engagement with the Fourth Industrial Revolution which has moved beyond globalization in the restructuring of the workplace. However, the implementation of the latest technologies without careful consideration for the Just Transition and the future of work puts existing jobs under threat.”

“The robust discussions at the national bargaining conference show that NUMSA is embracing the transformation that is taking place in the world of work and ensuring that its shop stewards are well-equipped with negotiation and bargaining skills and can effectively use digital technologies to understand industry trends and other critical information on complex supply chains. This dynamic approach is critical to collective bargaining and ensures that workers retain benefits and living wages,” says Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa.

What would a Just Transition in Nigeria's oil and gas sector look like?

NUPENG, which is affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, hosted the conference in Asaba, Delta State on 5 April under the theme: “Just energy transition for oil and gas workers, social welfare and security.”

Speaking at the conference which is the highest organ of the union and a democratic platform for delegates which sets the agenda and mandates, Prince William Akporeha, NUPENG president said:

“The conference theme was carefully and appropriately chosen in line with the new realities of climate change. The current major energy sources are the main catalysts for climate change that the world is witnessing. Therefore, there is need to transition to more sustainable energy sources for both industrial and domestic production. Importantly, the global trade union movement is demanding a Just Transition that will take into cognizance the socio-economic impact on the working people.”

The issues discussed at the conference included the union’s 40th anniversary, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the oil and gas sector especially on retrenchments, fighting for workers’ rights through improving industrial relations and collective bargaining, and confronting precarious working conditions. Further, the conference called for national policies that supported the building of new oil refineries and sustainable industrialization that created decent jobs in the sector. The union also called upon the Federal Government of Nigeria to improve security in the country to stop “senseless killings, kidnappings” and conflict in some communities.

On its victories the union mentioned fighting precarious work at Shell and said IndustriALL’s support at Shell was valuable as it led to the signing of a collective bargaining agreement for contract workers with the Shell Petroleum Development Company. At Chevron, 1710 workers were paid their full terminal benefits while valiant energy also paid terminal benefits to 39 workers. To strengthen the union, women’s committees have been set and young workers are represented through a youth council.

Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa who attended the meeting said:

“It is important that you are meeting as part of the union’s democratic traditions to set the agenda and renew mandates for the NUPENG leadership. Participatory democracy is important in building union power. We must never forget that the Just Transition is a working class concept that emerged out of the trade union movement to protect and advance workers’ rights and interests. In this sense a just energy transition must support the decent work agenda – promote job creation, guarantee rights at work, extend social protection, and promote social dialogue.”

Women mine workers share traumatic experiences on sexual harassment

Some participants at the gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) workshop, which is part of IndustriALL Global Union’s training to implement Convention 190 on eliminating violence and harassment in the world of work, shared touching stories of attempted rape and sexual harassment in Sub Saharan Africa.

The workshop also heard of cases of sexual exploitation in exchange for monetary benefits, also by supervisors, in the energy sector in Zimbabwe. Further, the groping of women in cages that transport workers to underground mines was raised as an issue of concern that needed immediate attention by unions and mine companies as it continues to occur.

Mosela who works as a machine operator at a South African goldmine narrated her attempted rape ordeal:

“I was five months pregnant at the time, and at work with a male colleague in the control room. I was doing overtime to supplement my wages as pregnant women workers do not work underground according to the law. But there were reductions on my job card as I could only work on the surface. The supervisor asked me to make coffee for him in his office as we had run out of supplies in the control room.
"He then followed me and said he wanted to have sex with me to ‘contribute to the growth of your unborn baby.’ I felt offended and disrespected by his utterances and pretence; and how he talked to me as if we were dating. He advanced towards me to trap me against the office desk, but I pushed him away and ran out of the office. I was traumatized; he was a senior colleague whom I respected and trusted. I had nightmares for months after the attempted rape.”

The workshop heard of another case of attempted rape that happened at a union workshop in Rwanda. For five days Nambi faced sexual harassment from a union leader while attending a workshop. The leader would send her inappropriate messages and photos.

“It was a terrible experience. He insinuated that he wanted to have sex with me and followed me everywhere; even when I took the hotel lift. And I was shocked when I found him naked in my hotel room. The hotel had given him spare keys to my room!”

In Nelly’s case, she faced sexual harassment shortly after getting a job at an open pit coal mine in South Africa.

“I was surprised by the undue attention I got from the assistant supervisor who provided me with transport to work every day. However, I felt overwhelmed and reported to the supervisor who warned the assistant. The assistant then started ignoring my calls and messages when I wanted transport from the pit after work and had to walk to the surface – endangering my life as the pit roads have traffic of heavy mining machinery. Although I reported to the shop stewards; they did not act timely, and I had to find transport from another woman worker."

Following a presentation by Hermien Botes from Anglo-America on how the company is addressing GBVH, the participants appreciated the efforts by the mining company but said they wanted the mining industry to address GBVH and not individual mining companies.

Lisa Sumi from the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) said the IRMA standards make it imperative for mines to take action to prevent and address discrimination, sexual harassment, and violence in the mines. Additionally, there must be worker grievance mechanisms to timely address the complaints and these are the requirements for the IRMA certification processes.

Rose Omamo, IndustriALL co-chair for Sub Saharan Africa says:

“Exhaustive information shared at this workshop points to the need to end GBVH and what we need to do to promote the implementation of Convention 190. Participants shared personal information arising from their work experiences including in trade union organizations. There is need for more such workshops to provide workers with spaces to share their experiences.”

“We strongly support the proposals of the union representatives to create internal policies towards stopping gender-based violence and sexual harassment at work and in the union,”

says Kathrin Meißner Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Trade Union Competence Centre for Sub Saharan Africa (FES-TUCC) director.

The workshop was held with support from the FES-TUCC, and facilitated by gender and labour expert, Bashiratu Kamal from Ghana.

Kenya: union calls for improved safety standards as worker dies in furnace accident

According to the Kenya Engineering Workers Union (KEWU), Caleb Otieno, a health and safety shop steward for the union, is said to have fallen into the open furnace on 25 March during his normal work routines as one of his hands got stuck as he pushed metal bars into the furnace. The family was given only his ashes for burial.

Kenya’s Occupational Safety and Health Act outlines the responsibilities of the employers and the workers on health and safety at workplaces. For example, employers are responsible for ensuring that plant and factory procedures reduce the risks to health and safety. This contributes to accident prevention. Further, employers must provide a safe working environment and conduct regular risk assessments. The law also states that employers must provide information and training on OHS as well as personal protective equipment.

Rose Omamo, IndustriALL Sub Saharan Africa regional co-chairperson says:

“This is an unfortunate and preventable, horrific accident. The steel manufacturers must adhere to health and safety standards as set out in the laws. We commiserate with the family which is going through the trauma of the death of their relative and pass our condolences. As trade unions we will continue to demand safety at work and compensation for the employer’s negligence.”

“We call on the government of Kenya to investigate this accident and to deploy OHS inspectors to conduct compliance visits aimed at improving safety standards and saving workers’ lives. The implementation of national and international standards is crucial to the elimination of accidents from the factories and in making them safer for workers,”

says Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa.

IndustriALL Sub Saharan Africa region has set up an online health and safety platform to discuss how unions can demand better demand health and safety standards at work as part of the decent work agenda. The platform will assist workers to deal with OHS challenges at the workplaces, conduct training and policy development, revive and strengthen trade union structures, and improve social dialogue on OHS matters.

File photo: steel plant in Egypt, 2008

Copyright : Marcel Crozet / ILO

Union signs collective agreement with ArcelorMittal Liberia

The three-year agreement (2022-2024) is the fifth collective bargaining agreement to be signed with the company, and the union says this brings harmony between the workers and the employer. The agreement includes education allowances for workers’ school going dependants, housing allowances, and permanent jobs for contract workers. Further, the union also welcomes the grading of workers to address salary disparities.

The ministry of labour, which facilitated the negotiations, says the collective bargaining agreement is in line with Liberia’s Decent Work Act, which regulates conditions of employment, occupational health and safety, collective bargaining agreements and industrial action, and workers compensation among other labour issues.

The ministry says negotiations are key to building better industrial relations, and that implementation of the agreement is important.

Dave Seneh, the general secretary of UWUL, which organizes workers in the mining and steel sectors, says:

“The agreement will bring industrial peace and provide job security to the 400 contract workers who will become permanent. The conversion of the contracts from temporary to permanent employment, which will take place in 2023, will bring joy to the workers.
"It is important to emphasize that UWUL has always demanded permanent jobs since ArcelorMittal started operations in the country. We have been arguing that since the workers are doing the same work as others, they should also be offered permanent contracts.”

“We congratulate UWUL for negotiating this collective bargaining agreement which gives permanent contracts to precarious workers. This comes with benefits and better working conditions and should be applauded. It is crucial for unions to fight for permanent jobs and workers’ rights especially for workers in non-standard forms of employment,”

says Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa.

ArcelorMittal Liberia mines and processes iron ore and is also involved in shipping and rail infrastructure development in the country. Last year the ArcelorMittal signed an agreement with the government to expand its operations in Liberia and is the country’s largest foreign investor.

Eswatini police disperse workers petitioning for living wage

Amalgamated Trade Union of Swaziland (ATUSWA) says this action by the police violates national and international labour standards that include Convention 87 (freedom of association and protection of the right to organize) and Convention 98 (right to organize and collective bargaining).

ATUSWA is rejecting the 6 per cent wage increase being offered by the employers, with support from the Textile and Apparel Wages Council (TAWC). The union wants minimum wages of E2923 (US$194) per month.

ATUSWA, affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, says there is over-reliance by the employers and the government on the Wages Council to determine wage increases. The union says this is beyond the Wages Council’s role which is to regulate minimum terms and conditions of employment as opposed to negotiations and collective bargaining.

Further, in the last three years, the TAWC has failed to reach consensus on the workers’ demands for living wages. Unfortunately, the council always seems to rule in favour of employers, who have become arrogant while workers continue to earn low wages, says ATUSWA in the petition.

Wander Mkhonza, ATUSWA secretary general says:

“After intense consultations with our members and those workers who are yet to be organized; the workers resolved to reclaim their fundamental rights and demand decent wages and better living conditions in and outside their workplaces.
“What worsens the problem is that collective bargaining has been actively stifled by government through the department of labour which is neglecting its oversight responsibilities. This neglect makes it possible for employers to suppress the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining.”

Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa says:

“We commend ATUSWA members for their courage to stand up for workers’ rights in a hostile environment in which workers live in fear and are dispersed by the police for picketing for living wages.”

IndustriALL’s 3rd Congress passed a resolution for democratic reforms on Eswatini and for the government to respect “freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of opinion and expression which are essential for human and trade union rights and that the government of Eswatini must adhere to United Nations Conventions including the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights.”

IndustriALL has written letters to the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights and the Southern African Developing Community to call upon the Eswatini government to protect workers and human rights.

ATUSWA and other trade unions are campaigning for democracy and an end to the country’s absolute monarchy under King Mswati III. Proposed dialogue by the government towards a constitutional democracy is yet to take place.

Divided we beg, united we bargain, says Eswatini union

Unions on strike at South African gold mines

The strike began with the night shift on 9 March after Sibanye Stillwater’s fifth proposal on the wage negotiations fell short of the workers’ demands and was rejected by the unions.

Earlier, the NUM held joint mass meetings with other unions including IndustriALL affiliate, UASA, over the mining company’s refusal to meet the wage demands. Protracted negotiations have also taken place before the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), but an agreement was not reached.

The CCMA issued a certificate of non-resolution which allows unions to give a 48-hour strike notice. According to South African labour laws, labour disputes can be referred to the CCMA for conciliation.

According to the NUM, the unions are demanding an increase of R1000 (US$65) per month for surface and underground miners, and 6 per cent for artisans, miners, and officials.

William Mabapa, NUM acting general secretary says:

“Mineworkers are determined to embark on the strike action until their demands are met. The union has noted the arrogance of the employers in maintaining that they are unshakable in their 5 per cent and R700 (US$46) pittance offer. However, the NUM is unshakable too in its demands for a living wage.

“The NUM has been reluctant to take industrial action in favour of negotiations but given the arrogance of Sibanye Stillwater the union is forced to embark on the nationwide industrial action that will change the gold mining landscape forever. The captains of the industry have continuously awarded themselves huge bonuses while mineworkers are earning poverty wages.”

Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL director for mining, says:

“We support the strike for living wages by gold mineworkers at Sibanye Stillwater and commend the NUM for its solidarity with other unions. Workers’ unity is important in this strike. Further, this strike is also about preserving the gains that workers have made as found in existing collective bargaining agreements between the employer and the unions,”

Sibanye Stillwater, which employs 31,000 workers in gold mining, also mines platinum group metals in South Africa and the USA. The company is also involved in the mining of battery metals. The company is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange.