JOHANNESBURG – The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) and its affiliate National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) would next week march to the Department of Mineral Resources to demand more government action to resolve the problems at Mpumalanga’s Lily Mine, where three workers remained trapped underground since February.
"Cosatu is disappointed by the government’s lack of action and commitment to bringing to the surface the bodies of trapped miners and also compensate the stranded workers, who are currently sitting at home with no income," the trade union federation said on Friday.
"The workers were given false promises by the Minister of Mineral Resources Mosebenzi Zwane, who promised the families of the trapped miners R200 000 and the injured workers about R50 000."
Zwane made "reckless promises" regarding Lily mine, said Cosatu.
"We cannot allow the minister to make reckless promises and fail to fulfil them. He cannot treat such tragedy as a public relations problem when workers lives and their livelihoods are at stake. We demand that he fulfils those promises that he made to the workers."
The trade union federation said it was still awaiting response from government after it called for a commission of inquiry into the Lily Mine disaster.
Hopes to save the mine were dashed when Canadian firm, AfroCan Resources failed to make a $2.5-million payment promised to the mine bosses desperate to pay worker salaries, remove the trapped workers and start operations.
Owners of Lily mine, Vantage Goldfieds, have since indicated it would take legal action against AfroCan Resources for failing to honour the agreement to invest in the cash-strapped Lily mine.