Unions condemn treatment of Aurora workers

Numsa condemned what it called "the apartheid style" shooting of striking mine workers at Grootvlei.

Police fired rubber bullets on Wednesday to disperse workers after they had allegedly stoned motor vehicles.

"The mine workers are on a strike after Aurora management failed to pay wages to workers for more than two months," Numsa said in a statement.

The workers had a legitimate right to strike, "to raise their frustrations with Aurora management".

Numsa said police could not be used to intervene in wage disputes "through unleashing brutal force".

In a separate statement, the NUM said Aurora mineworkers would continue their protest at Grootvlei.

The NUM alleged that on Wednesday, Aurora's management had falsely claimed they were being held hostage by strikers.

"Police officers who have recently been given new military titles approached the crowd with fierce force," the NUM charged.

"Of course we all know there was no hostage taking, but the intention of mine management was to divert attention from the real issues and police fell into the trap," the union said.

President Jacob Zuma's nephew Khulubuse Zuma is Aurora's chairman and former President Nelson Mandela's grandson, Zondwa Mandela is the company's managing director.

Last month, mineworkers downed tools at Grootvlei to protest non-payment of wages and job loss threats.