Rumours added to NUM losing control
2013-02-13 18:15
Rustenburg - Rumours and reports that NUM was working with Lonmin
Platinum Mine added to the union losing control of its members at the
Marikana mine, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry heard on Wednesday.
"All the stories that the NUM was colluding with the
employer added to us losing control," National Union of Mineworkers
president Senzeni Zokwana said.
"When violence was used it was difficult for us to call
on shop stewards to return to work... We did not only lose control -
we lost lives."
Zokwana was being cross-examined at the Rustenburg
Civic Centre by Tshepiso Ramphile, representing families of murdered
security guards at the mine when mineworkers went on strike in August
last year.
Ramphile wanted to establish whether the conduct of NUM
members and officials was in the best interests of resolving the issues
at the mine and the role played by the union in the violent strike.
The NUM had done a lot of good for miners in the past,
but the commission was established to find out if weaknesses in the
union had led to the deaths of the mineworkers, he said.
Ramphile questioned Zokwana on the grades used to determine the wages of rock drill operators.
Zokwana said the union was in talks with the Chamber of Mines to negotiate better wages for the rock drill operators.
"We can deal with the industry - we have been engaging on the issue of grades," he said.
Ramphile asked: "Could it be that the rock drillers lost confidence?"
Zokwana said that before the union agreed with wage
increases they consulted with members - and the rock drill operators
had agreed to the previous increase.
"I understand if rock drillers were angry about these
wages, but there should be ways of dealing with it. Violence is not the
way to deal with it," Zokwana said.
He told the commission he did not blame anyone for the
violence and that it was the commission's job to find those responsible
for the deaths of 44 people.
The NUM did not just care about their members, but all
mineworkers, and was concerned about the loss of lives, and had spoken
to the families of those who died at Marikana, Zokwana said.
"We don't limit our work to NUM members," he said.
"We feel the pain of every worker on duty."
Law and order
Earlier, Zokwana told the commission that the union
told their members to go to work, because the violence that marked the
strike by mineworkers at Marikana last year could not have been
anticipated.
"Nobody could have predicted that it would be the trend of those on strike to kill those working," Zokwana said.
"We urged our members to go to work - we could not
anticipate the violence... It was their right [to strike], but that
right could not come at the expense of other workers' [rights]."
He told the commission that the employer had the right
to dismiss workers who embarked on an illegal strike.
If the situation
was volatile the employer should have closed the mine, he added.
The union had called for police back-up, not to
negotiate, but to ensure law and order when miners went to work, because
they feared for their lives.
Zokwana said it was also the responsibility of the mine to ensure the safety of miners who went to work.
"The employer was supposed to render that protection [to workers going to work]."
The commission is probing the deaths of 44 people
during an unprotected strike at Lonmin's Marikana mine.
On 16 August 34
striking mineworkers were shot dead and 78 injured when police opened
fire while trying to disperse a group that had gathered on a hill near
the mine.
Ten people, including two police officers and two security guards, were killed near the mine in the preceding week.
Commission chairperson Judge Ian Farlam reminded the
lawyers that they should not repeat evidence that the commission had
already heard, and said they should not waste time because the
commission was costly.
"The time of this commission is precious. Every day is important."
The inquiry continues.
- SAPA
