Numsa heads to court over access to protesting mineworkers
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) will be heading to the High Court in Johannesburg on Tuesday in a bid to access Lanxess Chrome Mine workers who have embarked on an underground protest at the mine.
The workers have been underground since February 17.
READ: Four more test positive for coronavirus
They are protesting against what they deem to be “shocking” working conditions at the mine and instances of alleged sexual harassment.
Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola says the mine has been withholding food from the protesting mineworkers.
“The purpose of this application is us requesting that the court must force Lanxess management to grant us access to our members who have been embarking in a sit-in underground.
“Lanxess Mines is deliberately withholding food to our members and we believe this is a gross violation of human rights and we have tried repeatedly to engage Lanxess management on this issue but we have been ignored.”
Hlubi-Majola claims the company has so failed to deal with allegations of sexual harassment.
“The mine captain, who was found guilty of sexually harassing a worker last year, even though he was found guilty and an independent process found that he must be dismissed immediately from his job, as we speak this mine captain remains on paid leave.”