Mine union plans safety strike

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) plans to ask its members to down tools on Dec 4 to protest against a spate of deaths in the country’s mines, the president of the union said.

The strike would mark the first total shutdown of all mines in South Africa in some 20 years, and be the first nation-wide protest on safety issues. Senzeni Zokwana, the president of NUM, unveiled the date of the planned action in a speech at a congress of global miners unions being held in Thailand, a statement released late on Thursday said.NUM officials said a permit for the strike had not been granted yet, but that a meeting between mining companies, the union and an arbitration authority that has the mandate to give the go-ahead for the strike would be held tomorrow.Nampa-ReutersSenzeni Zokwana, the president of NUM, unveiled the date of the planned action in a speech at a congress of global miners unions being held in Thailand, a statement released late on Thursday said.NUM officials said a permit for the strike had not been granted yet, but that a meeting between mining companies, the union and an arbitration authority that has the mandate to give the go-ahead for the strike would be held tomorrow.Nampa-Reuters