RANDFONTEIN, South Africa (Reuters) - South African gold miner Remaketsi Lekoala misses his wife and five children.
When he started work at the Cooke gold mine west of Johannesburg 18 years ago, he knew he would have to leave his family at home hundreds of miles away and live in a crowded, all-male hostel due to the strict apartheid laws.
After white-minority rule was abolished 11 years ago, he hoped to reunite his family in improved housing so he could see them more than twice a year, at Christmas and Easter.
Although some mines have made great strides in upgrading housing, workers like Lekoala say they have been left behind.
“You don’t have any privacy,” he said. “It’s difficult not knowing what kind of problems my family are having. I can’t help as a father should.”
Frustration over wages and housing boiled over when South Africa’s biggest mining union called a nationwide strike, the first in the sector in 18 years.
Housing was a contentious issue leading to the strike call as unions sought a doubling of the “living-out” allowance that helps workers find accommodation outside the hostels.
Miners, who descend more than 3 km (nearly 2 miles) underground to drill ore in sweltering narrow tunnels, typically earn 2,500-3,000 rand per month. They have rejected a wage rise offer of 4.5-5 percent and are demanding an increase of 12 percent.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said about 100,000 gold miners, which it represents, had launched their strike on Sunday to demand higher wages.
More: today.reuters.com
Related MBA Information
Stalemate persists in SAfrica gold strike
Unions and producers met on Tuesday to try to end the biggest strike by South African gold miners in 18 years, but no end to the stalemate was in sight, negotiators on both sides said on Tuesday. The Solidarity trade union, traditional representative of white workers, has joined the strike led by the black National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) -- keeping some 110,000 workers away and bringing mines to a standstill in the top bullion producer. "It doesn't seem as if we're making progress, the parties seem to be very far apart," Frans Barker, chief negotiator for the Chamber of Mines that
Small S.Africa union yet to accept gold wage offer
A South African union representing about 15,000 gold sector workers said on Friday it had not accepted an improved wage deal by gold producers, and would meet the Chamber of Mines on Monday to discuss the offer. The traditionally white United Association of South Africa (Uasa), whose members are mostly supervisory staff and skilled artisans, did not take part in the gold sector's first industry-wide strike in 18 years, which ended on Thursday. The strike paralysed gold mines in the world's top bullion producer, forcing gold mine owners to increase their wage offer. "We have still not accepted the offer, we will be
S.Africa prosecutor to announce Zuma decision
South Africa's public prosecutor's office will hold a news conference at 1430 local time (1230 GMT) on Monday to announce its decision regarding possible action against former Deputy President Jacob Zuma, an official said. "This will be the national director's decision on Zuma," National Prosecuting Authority deputy spokesperson Lucinda Moonieya said. South African President Thabo Mbeki sacked Zuma as his deputy last week after he was implicated in a high-profile graft case involving his former financial adviser Schabir Shaik. Zuma has denied any wrongdoing. Shaik, a friend of Zuma from the anti-apartheid struggle, was convicted earlier this month in the Durban High Court
S.Africa union says to launch strike vs gold firms
Gold firms in South Africa, the biggest bullion producer in the world, faced the first country-wide strike in 18 years after wage talks hit an impasse on Monday, a trade union said. "The mediators who have been trying to defuse the situation...have not been successful in achieving a positive outcome," the Solidarity union said in a statement. The strike would paralyse South African mines of AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields and Harmony Gold -- the world's second, fourth and sixth ranking gold producers -- leading to a loss of 28,000 ounces per day. Unions were denied permission on Friday by government mediators to
South African gold miners to go ahead with strike Sunday
Around 100,000 South African gold miners will launch the first industry-wide strike in 18 years later on Sunday to press demands for better wages, the country's biggest mining union said. "The main issue is that at 6 p.m. (5 p.m. British time) tonight, the strike is beginning," Gwede Mantashe, general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), told a news conference. "Tonight there will be a strike, our forces are ready." Mantashe said talks with individual companies were planned for later in the day, but that even if any improved wage offers were forthcoming, it would be too late to call off
South Africa gets upgrade from S&P
South Africa gets the thumbs-up from Standard & Poor’s ratings agency with a currency upgrade - the short-term foreign currency rating is raised to A-2 where it was previously A-3. Dawie Roodt, chief economist at the Efficient Group is on the line LINDSAY WILLIAMS: I-Net Bridge brings out comments from well-known economists after these announcements - you said “it's fantastic!” It really is quite good news isn’t it? DAWIE ROODT: Absolutely. The previous round - about four years ago - South Africa was rated as an investment country for the first time. Only then were we categorised officially by S&P
S Africa’s ex-deputy president charged
South Africa's popular former deputy president Jacob Zuma will face corruption charges in a case that triggered his dismissal last week after an aide was convicted of bribing him, state prosecutors said today. The decision to put Zuma on trial is the latest blow to a powerful politician once seen as favourite to succeed President Thabo Mbeki in 2009. "We have decided to bring criminal charges," National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Makhosini Nkosi told a news conference. "On the basis of the evidence available, we think we have a case that can be successfully prosecuted ... Mr Zuma must be ready to appear in
Benefit of South Africa’s gold eroding
Benefit of South Africa's gold eroding For decades, this country's gold mines represented both the worst and the best option for black laborers across southern Africa. The worst because of the dangers of underground mining and the social costs of living apart from families. The best because gold mining meant steady work at relatively high pay for anyone with a strong back. More and more, though, there is no option at all. South Africa's gold mining industry is cutting thousands of jobs because of three factors that seem beyond the country's control: rising costs of steel and other supplies; a strong local currency that
South Africa’s NUM to Declare Wage Dispute after De Beers Talks Fail
South Africa’s National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is planning to declare a wage dispute with De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited (DBCM) after the sides failed to reach an agreement following a series of meetings. De Beers is offering a 7.5 percent increase for its lowest paid workers and a 7 percent increase for the rest of the bargaining unit. This would increase its minimum wage to 3,333 rand ($525) per month, and is subject to the implementation of and continued engagement on a Gain Sharing Scheme. A guaranteed bonus pool of 4 percent will be made available for distribution
SA to resume co-operation with Israel
Israel and South Africa are to resume security co-operation after a 15-year gap, with defence officials to visit Israel for the first time since the end of apartheid, Haaretz newspaper reported today. South African officials are due to meet the defence ministry director and tour Israel's defence and aircraft industries to discuss possible joint ventures. Israel was one of the main suppliers of weapons and military technology to South Africa during the apartheid regime, but the ties were severed when white rule was replaced by a democratic government in 1994. Since it swept to power in 1994, the African National