JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Labour collectives on Wednesday slammed mining major Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) for delivering what they described as a “savage blow” to the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) after the world’s top platinum producer said on Sunday it would sue AMCU for R591-million in damages resulting from ongoing strike action by the union.

AMCU had started a strike for an entry-level salary of R12 500 at Amplats’ mines more than three weeks ago, with a resolution yet to be reached.

In a statement on Monday, The National Council of Trade Unions (NACTU) – whose affiliates included the Building, Construction and Allied Workers union, AMCU and the Transport and Allied Workers Union – and the Marikana Solidarity Campaign said the pursuit of legal action by Amplats was an attempt by employers to not only break the miners’ strike but also to deal a “savage” blow to militant unions.

“It is the same approach that led to the Marikana massacre. This is a clear sign of their bad faith in the negotiation process and can only act to prolong the strike rather [than getting] the strikers to return to work,” commented NACTU.

The unions also took aim at the State, saying that the Department of Labour’s threat to deregister AMCU for its failure to establish regional structures was an attempt to destabilise the union and formed part of an “orchestrated attack” on independent unions.

“AMCU’s demand for a living wage of R12 500 is a legitimate demand and the attempt by Amplats and the State to break and undermine the living wage strike must also be seen in the context of the campaign of vilification against the National Union of Metalworkers [of South Africa] and its allies that are campaigning for the Congress of South African Trade Unions to build an independent socialist movement,” said the council.

Marikana Solidarity Campaign spokesperson Rehad Desai told Mining Weekly Online that the organisation would mobilise its affiliates across all sectors to engage in a sympathy strike should Amplats not withdraw its legal case against the union.