Lerato Mbhiza
THE ‘hostage’ situation at Gold One mine has ended as all 543 mine workers who were holed up underground resurfaced, three days after their ordeal that was triggered by a dispute over union membership.
At first reports said the miners were being held hostage by their colleague belonging to a rival union.
However, it is now reported that miners carried out a sit-in underground demanding Gold One to recognise the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) as their representatives.
Amcu has a majority of members at 1 700 while National Union for Mine Workers (Nun) has only 110.
On Tuesday night, negotiations between the mine, Amcu, Num and the CCMA collapsed with the two unions refusing to compromise on their demands.
It is alleged that the miners finally gave in due to mounting hunger and a fight that ensued between the miners who were now divided into two groups.
One group demanded that they continue fighting underground until the negotiations favoured them while the other demanded that they be freed and fight from the outside.
The miners started coming out of the mine from the early hours of Wednesday morning with the first priority being given to those with chronic illnesses or injuries.
Most of the workers are expected to sign Amcu’s petition challenging the existing closed-shop agreement between mine management and Num.
Under the agreement Num is the only trade union with organising rights at the mine with a workforce of almost 2 000.
Amcu leadership accused management at the Gold One Mine of propaganda for spreading reports that miners were being held hostage underground.
Police also said workers at the Gold One Mine were allegedly prevented from coming back to the surface, while Amcu insists workers are simply staging a sit-in.
Police spokesperson Brenda Muridili has also confirmed that 15 armed men were holding the workers hostage, a claim she said was also corroborated by the miners who have been interviewed by detectives.
But Amcu is adamant there was no hostage situation and the union’s regional secretary, Luvo Ntshwanti, said the miners were not being held against their will.
“The sit-in was voluntary, the issue of people held hostage or against their will is a propaganda done by management and Num just to instil fear and panic from the public, the majority of these employees no longer want to be represented by the union (Num).”
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