Government shared the concern of the Anglican Church of South Africa regarding the need for mine-owners and workers to find one another in order to end protracted strike in the platinum belt, North West Premier Thandi Modise said on Friday.
“We welcome the prayers that the Anglican parishes across the country will be offering on Sunday and also call on other denominations and faiths to pray for an end to the human disaster that us unfolding as a result of employees not earning any income,” Premier Modise said
Modise said that church leaders had played a significant role in mediation in the aftermath of the Marikana tragedy and government is still looking up to them to continue playing a constructive role in order to prevent job losses and another calamity.
“Political opportunism and grandstanding should make way for intense and focused negotiations aimed at breaking the current wage dispute deadlock in the interest of sustainable mining,” she underscored.
Members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) at Lonmin, Implats, and Amplats in Rustenburg and at Northam in Limpopo downed tools on January 23 demanding a basic monthly salary of R12, 500.
The strike has cost the companies over R17.8 billion in revenue and workers have lost more than R7.9bn in earnings, according to figures on www.platinumwagenegotiations.co.za, as of Wednesday.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Spokesperson
Cell: 083 629 1987
Tel: 018 388 3705
Fax: 018 388 3157
Email: LKgwele@gmail.com
