eMalahleni, (Witbank) – Unhappy about imminent retrenchments, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has announced that it will embark on a protest march at Seriti Resources – Eskom’s largest black-controlled coal supplier – on Monday, (7 October 2024).
In a statement on Sunday, (6 October 2024), NUM said the Congress of South African Trade Unions, SA Communist Party, and African National Congress, will join the planned “massive protest against Seriti Resources’ imminent retrenchments of 1 143 permanent employees at various company operations”.
Seriti is a broad-based, 92.76% black-owned and controlled company that operates six coal mines and develops renewable energy projects.
The coal mining company employs about 10 000 workers.
In the statement, NUM said: “Seriti Resources has been on a wild streak of Section 189 notices which will leave a staggering 1 143 workers out of jobs.
“It has served retrenchment notices to employees at its operations at Middleburg Mines, Khutala, Klipspruit, Kriel, and MMS.
“What is beyond shocking is the company’s replacement of permanent, highly skilled employees with contractors to fulfil its main objective of exploitation and to maximise profit.”
NUM said for Seriti to “impulsively embark on a jobs bloodbath” at the expense of hundreds of workers who have families to feed was “totally unacceptable and vicious”, especially in this current strained economy.
The union added: “As the NUM Highveld Region, we view this as rapacious capitalism barbarism that must be stopped as a matter of urgency”.
Seriti is co-owned by four black anchor shareholders: the Masimong Group, Thebe Investments Corporation, Zungu Investments, and Community Investment Holdings.
The company is currently Eskom’s largest black-controlled coal supplier, with a clear focus on providing secure, long-term coal supply solutions to fuel its power stations.
Seriti Power is responsible for around 32% of Eskom’s annual coal supply.
However, NUM said if Seriti was “unable to run operations that have had successful business models for years and boomed through the blood, sweat, and tears of the very workers they plan to discard, it should seek assistance instead of taking ill-conceived decisions”.
The union statement added: “The NUM Highveld Region is also deeply worried about the posture taken by Eskom rewarding coal contracts to truck owners with a high price as opposed to Seriti that is just next door of Duvha Power Station.
“With regard to this, the NUM Highveld Region does not rule out the possibility of bringing the public protector to investigate this malfeasance.
“The NUM is also worried about the silence of the Department of Mineral Resources.
“We suspect elements of capture hence the conspicuous by the department.”
Seriti, the coal mining company whose name was derived from a Sesotho word meaning “integrity”, could not be reached for comment on Sunday.
Last week, Wednesday, miners at Seriti affiliated with the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), staged a protest outside the coal giant’s offices in Illovo, north of Johannesburg.
AMCU’s general secretary, Jeff Mphahlele, was quoted by EWN as highlighting the profound impact these layoffs could have on workers and their communities.
“Remember that every black worker is supporting not less than 10 people – their families, relatives, and others who depend on them,” lamented Mphahlele.
NUM said the protest march details were as follows:
Date: Monday, 7 October 2024
Time: 10 am
Gathering point: Witbank’s King George Park
Destination: Saveways
