Gold One miners not being held hostage, insists AMCU
The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) has accused management at the Gold One Mine of propaganda amid allegations that miners are being held hostage underground.
Hundreds of miners have remained underground at the Springs mine since Sunday.
It is understood the tension is due to a long-standing impasse between rival mining unions AMCU and National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) over organising rights at the East Rand mine.
Police said workers at the Gold One Mine were allegedly been prevented from coming back to the surface, while AMCU insists workers are simply staging a sit-in.
The union’s regional leader, Luvo Ntshwanti, said the miners are 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, majority of these employees no longer wants to be represented by the union (NUM)."
Police spokesperson Brenda Muridili said 15 armed men are holding the workers hostage, a claim she says was confirmed by miners who have been interviewed by detectives.
On Wednesday, family members brought food and water over the fence to the confined workers.
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