S. African Police Use Rubber Bullets Against Mine Workers

(IDEX Online News) – South African police fired rubber bullets on Friday to disperse workers at a mine operated by London-listed DiamondCorp and said members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) were involved in the protest.

Police spokesman Stephen Thakeng said four of the workers from the AMCU were injured and 16 arrested for public violence in the latest round of labor unrest in South Africa's mining sector.

"They were blocking the main entrance of the mine and that was when we started to use rubber bullets," Thakeng said in comments cited by Reuters.

AMCU is known for its hardline stance and earlier this year led a five-month strike against the world's top platinum producers, the longest and costliest in the country's history, according to the report. The union is now expanding beyond platinum into other sectors such as gold, coal and diamonds.

AMCU workers downed tools on Thursday at DiamondCorp's Lace project in South Africa's Free State province, demanding the company hire two full-time shop stewards at the operation. AMCU is the majority union at the Lace mine.

DiamondCorp said on Thursday that "a mine development project of less than 260 workers does not require and cannot afford two full-time shop stewards".

Chief executive Paul Loundon told Reuters: "We are not going to change our attitude because there is no mine with less than 260 employees that has full-time shop stewards. And we are not going to be the first." AMCU represents more than half of employees at the mine, he said, however it is not clear how many AMCU members were involved in the stoppage.

The company said tunneling would be done by non-AMCU members and the installation of a conveyer belt system by contractors was not affected by the strike.

Dan Sesuthi, AMCU's regional organizer in the Free State, told Reuters: "We will strike for as long as we have to."

The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration has granted AMCU a certificate for the strike, which means it is a legal and a protected strike under the South African Labour Relations Act. However, the 'no work, no pay' rule will apply.

Paul Loudon, DiamondCorp CEO, said: "Management is disappointed that AMCU leaders have decided to encourage AMCU members at Lace into industrial action which in the end provides no financial benefits to the mine workforce but is instead self-serving only to the union leadership.