JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The Chamber of Mines (CoM) has welcomed the opportunity to meet directly with the leadership of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to discuss the matters raised in a memorandum of demands handed to the chamber in October.

“While marches and memoranda play an important role in the life of any democracy, real change can only come when there is proper direct engagement on specifics,” the CoM said in a statement on Thursday.

Some of the EFFs demands included a call for the nationalisation of South Africa’s mines without compensation, noting that the State should own and control a minimum of 60% of the country’s mines, a minimum wage of R12 500, better salaries and wages for all mineworkers and the provision of full employment for contract workers and urgent and fast-tracked active participation to start a process of transfer of wealth to the rightful owners.

The CoM reiterated that mining companies had made significant strides in their contribution to improving the lives of their employees, their families, communities living around mines and the wider population.

“This is in addition to the crucial contribution that the industry has made to the South African economy. Much of the country’s economic infrastructure is based on the mining sector, the industry’s supply chain and the beneficiation of minerals mined. Well-considered policies will, no doubt, enhance value-addition of the entire mining value chain in our economy,” the CoM said in a statement.

The EFF also called for an immediate moratorium on retrenchments of workers in all mining companies, while placing emphasis on the provision of education, skills and expertise to South African youth to capacitate them to play a meaningful role in the entire mining value chain.

However, the chamber noted that it and its members respected and complied with the country’s employment laws and were constructively engaged in the relevant forums to discuss policy and legislative changes, where these were required.

“We acknowledge the impact of job losses resulting from the commodities downturn is serious – for employees, communities and the country as a whole. We will continue to participate fully in various processes, including the Mining Industry Growth Development and Employment Task Team, in seeking to address this and other issues,” it said.

The chamber was also a signatory to the recent Leaders’ Declaration: Mining industry commitment to save jobs and ameliorate the impact of job losses.

“We are also fully supportive of the Presidential Framework Agreement process that is addressing the negative impacts of the migrant labour system and is focused on creating sustainable mining communities. Critical to all of these discussions is the recognition of the need for a thriving, sustainable mining industry that is able to deliver benefits to all those involved.”