GOLD One suspended mining operations at its Modder East facility in Springs on Thursday after threats of more protests, said BusinessLive.
The mine’s management initially recalled 50 night shift employees on Wednesday night after hearing of a plan to protest and stage a sit-in underground. “We recalled the employees and suspended operations until Thursday morning,” said Gold One’s head of legal Ziyad Hassam.
A few hours after the morning shift started on Thursday it was suspended, and all workers were brought to the surface, he said.
“We have now suspended operations until Monday at the earliest. The aim is to stabilise and normalise the situation at the mine before we can call people back to work in a safe manner,” Hassam told BusinessLive.
Hassam said the cause of the protest was about organisational rights at the mine, where the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) have a closed-shop agreement with the company since 2012.
