Gold One drama: Amcu 'tells' miners to resurface as it moves to 'Plan B'

Miners still underground at the Gold One operations in Springs are expected to resurface shortly after the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) said it has “decided to persuade them to come out”.

Musa Khalipha, an Amcu delegate at the mine, told TimesLIVE they would adopt different tactics in their fight for recognition at the mine.

An estimated 500 miners have been underground since Sunday, after Amcu led what it called a sit-in protest to demand an end to the closed-shop agreement in favour of the National Union of Mineworkers. The NUM, the company and police have said a small group of miners had been holding the majority hostage.

The stalemate ended when about 100 miners emerged from the mine's tunnels on Wednesday morning.

“When you go to a fight, you go to plan B if A doesn’t work,” Khalipha said.

“We will honour them and welcome them,” he said of those miners coming up to the surface of the shaft.

Amcu is drafting a new petition that will be handed over to management for them to have organisational rights and be a union of choice at Gold One, he said, adding protest action would continue.

“It just started, it’s far from over.

“We are going ahead with the strike, we’re waiting for a ballot vote.”

TimesLIVE