www.ituc-csi.org Brussels, 17 August 2012 (ITUC OnLine): The ITUC has described
the wave of violence at South Africa’s Lonmin Marikana platinum mine as
appalling, with as many as 36 killed yesterday when police opened fire on
striking miners. 10 people had previously been killed in the past week as
violence at the mine escalated.
“Every worker should be able to go to work knowing that
their life and physical safety is guaranteed. We send our deepest
condolences to all those who have lost loved ones, and plead for all those
involved to renounce violence and solve the dispute peacefully. We trust
that the South African authorities will ensure a full investigation into the
Lonmin violence, both the appalling killings yesterday and the spiral of
violence which led up to it. Those responsible must be brought to
justice,” said Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary.
Conflict within the mine between rival groups of workers
aligned with different unions has intensified in recent weeks, along with
episodes of violence elsewhere in the mining sector. On top of demands
for better pay, abysmal living conditions for many miners have exacerbated
tensions.
“The only way to resolve this situation is through
negotiation and dialogue. We trust that intervention from the leadership
of both unions, NUM and AMCU, as well as responsible behavior from the mine
management which itself has a major responsibility for this situation, will
bring calm and an agreed settlement that brings justice to all the workers,”
said Burrow.
The ITUC represents 175 million workers in 308 affiliated
national organisations from 153 countries and territories.
Advice from ITUC
