South Africa - 75,000 miners on strike - Anglo-American sack 12,000 strikers

[Jolly Red Giant]

The strike wave started at the Lonmin platinum mine where mine workers were massacred by police has grown to involve approx. 75,000 mine workers in the Rustenberg region of South Africa.

The strike wave has now engulfed platinum, gold and chrome mines in the region. In response to three weeks of strike action by mine workers Anglo-american Platinum announced today that it was sacking 12,000 striking workers.

On Tuesday the Goldfields mining company eviced 5,000 striking miners from their dormatory hostels in an attempt to break the strike.

Attempts by heavily armed police to arrest striking miners at Mooinooi on Tuesday were frustrated by the organising actions of the Democratic Socialist Movement (sister party of the Socialist Party) who prevented arrests taking place and engaged in solidarity activities with striking miners. The DSM have played a prominent role in establishing inter-mine workers committees who are coordinating the strike of the Rustenberg miners. Strike leaders at the Amplats mine have stated "We have been under pressure for years because the NUM didn't want to represent us. The movement uniting us now is the Democratic Socialist Movement. The strike committees want a union that is independent, that will be worker-controlled and not under the umbrella of Cosatu or the ANC."

The police and the mines private security thugs have continued to attempt to break the strikes regularly firing rubber bullets, tear gas, stun grenades and occasionally live rounds into protests fo striking miners. As late as yesterday another worker was shot dead by police in Rustenberg and today a miner died after being hit by a rubber bullet.

The strike wave has now started to spread to industries outside the mining sector. This week workers at the Toyota plant in Durban went on strike.

The massacre at Lonmin and the subsequent massive strike wave is sending shockwaves through the ANC government. The strikers are receiving massive support among the South African working class and the government with its triumvirate backers in COSATU and the SA Communist Party are facing the potential of a general strike that could bring down the regime.

Workers at the Lonmin mine returned to work last week after receiving significant pay increases and are now continuing organising an independent trade union and actively supporting other striking miners in the region. Other mining companies have also conceded to significant pay demands rather than face strike action.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19848915

[Jolly Red Giant]

The strike wave continues to spread. 20,000 oil company truck drivers are on strike leading to a major reduction in fuel deliveries and the transport union SATAWU has announced that it's members on the railways and in the ports will strike from next week.

[Jolly Red Giant]

I have just been reading updated reports that the numbers now on strike in the oil sector have risen to over 70,000 from the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union; the South African Chemical Workers Union and the General Industrial Workers Union of South Africa. Private security thugs, backed up by the SA police are now engaging in strike breaking and attempting to supply a limited number of stations in an effort to break the strike.

The South African Municipal Workers' Union are also planning strike action following their rejection of an offer of a 7.5% pay increase.

[C. Flower]

This is a massive movement, very militant and determined. Taken together with the Foxconn and other strikes in China, there is a really sense of the international working class on the move. The question is - how to link up the workers from expanding economies, who are confidently pushing for wage increases, with workers from the deindustrialising, formerly rich economies of the west, who are trying to defend their wages and living conditions ?

[Jolly Red Giant]

Latest reports are that more than 100,000 miners are now on strike.

as an aside - I find it astonishing that what is probably the most significant movement of the working class anywhere in the world over the past year is generating so little interest on this site.

[C. Flower]

Latest reports are that more than 100,000 miners are now on strike.

as an aside - I find it astonishing that what is probably the most significant movement of the working class anywhere in the world over the past year is generating so little interest on this site.

I am sad, but not astonished, to see this very significant movement, which neither you nor I started, being used for local political jibes.

Our site has been discussing the SA miners strike for some time - mainly on this thread -

http://www.politicalworld.org/showth...+Africa+miners

but it has also been mentioned on other threads, along with the Foxconn and other disputes in China, as a sign of an upsurge of working class militancy worldwide.

It would make sense to merge the two threads, if you don't mind, so as to keep a continuous record of events as they develop.

[Jolly Red Giant]

I am sad, but not astonished, to see this very significant movement, which neither you nor I started, being used for local political jibes.

Our site has been discussing the SA miners strike for some time - mainly on this thread -

http://www.politicalworld.org/showth...+Africa+miners

but it has also been mentioned on other threads, along with the Foxconn and other disputes in China, as a sign of an upsurge of working class militancy worldwide.

It would make sense to merge the two threads, if you don't mind, so as to keep a continuous record of events as they develop.

You really do like to engage in bickering don't you

There hasn't been a post on the other thread in nearly a month and when I posted the above comment there were less than 100 views of the thread and 4 comments - three from me and one from you.

[C. Flower]

You really do like to engage in bickering don't you

There hasn't been a post on the other thread in nearly a month and when I posted the above comment there were less than 100 views of the thread and 4 comments - three from me and one from you.

Did you start the thread to discuss the topic, or to attempt a display of solitary virtue ?

[Jolly Red Giant]

Did you start the thread to discuss the topic, or to attempt a display of solitary virtue ?

To discuss the topic CF - and to my surprise its a topic few on here seem interested in reading about, never mind discussing.

[Jolly Red Giant]

Truck drivers accept a pay increase in excess of 10%

GDO sack a couple of thousand gold miners

[C. Flower]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvThvuk6ms0"]Thousands of South African miners sacked - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0OrYLKMhDQ"]South African Miners Strike a Challenge to ANC - YouTube[/ame]

[Jolly Red Giant]

Interview with Mametlwe Sebei a leading member of the Democratis Socialist Movement in South Africa (sister party of the Socialist Party and a member of the Committee for a Workers International). The DSM have played a leading role in assisting workers organising independent workers committees and the current strike wave in South Africa.

"The mineworkers’ rejection of their traditional negotiators has allowed rivals such as AMCU and the Committee for a Workers International, a communist group, to recruit platinum miners and lead the strikes." Sunday Tribune, 7 October 2012, South Africa

On 18 September, after six weeks of defiant strike action - when over 40 miners were killed by police acting on behalf of the mining bosses - Marikana platinum miners in Rustenburg, South Africa, won a significant 22% pay increase.

The Marikana strike action has spread throughout the mining industry provoking the anger of the bosses and African National Congress (ANC) government ministers alike.

On 5 October Anglo American Platinum fired 12,000 miners striking for better wages but with little hope of replacing these workers.

The strikes and the government response have also ignited a political volcano among South Africa’s working class with the demand for a new mass workers’ party finding an increasing echo.

In the following interview Democratic Socialist Movement, DSM, (CWI South Africa) member Mametlwe Sebei - who is playing a leading role in the miners’ Strike Coordinating Committee - explains the political tasks facing the workers’ movement.

http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/5987

Mametlwe Sebei is interviewed in the first youtube clip above



Other articles showing the growing influence of the DSM on the current strike wave in South Africa

http://www.miningweekly.com/article/...all-2012-09-13

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...tandstill.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19585910

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa...516474763.html

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa...482540917.html

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/news/int...l?cid=33510810

http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/bu...murray-roberts

http://drum.co.za/2012/09/14/amplant...in-rustenburg/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...ca-southafrica

http://allafrica.com/stories/201210040962.html

http://www.cnbc.com/id/49071975

http://allafrica.com/stories/201210121014.html



Finally - the SA Communist Party attacks the striking workers -

http://www.sacp.org.za/main.php?ID=3760

[Jolly Red Giant]

Rustenburg workers host first meeting of national strike committee meeting

The Rustenburg Joint Strike Coordinationg Committee statement 12 October 2012

"Well over 100 000 mine workers are on strike across the country for demands that have key common denominators – workers are all fighting for a R12 500 basic salary, for equal pay for equal work, an end to sub-contracting, and in protest against the deadly lack of safety underground and the sub-human living conditions in mining communities. On Saturday October 13, 2012, the Rustenburg Joint Strike Coordinating Committee, which co-ordinates the strikes of the wider Rustenburg mines, including Anglo Platinum, Samancor and Royal Bafokeng Platinum, will host a first national strike committee meeting in Marikana.
• We are coming together to agree on joint and coordinated action. Our struggle is one, and it’s high time that we come together to make sure that is felt by the employers, says Gadaffi Mdoda, a member of the Rustenburg Joint Strike Coordinating Committee and an Anglo Platinum worker.
• This first national strike committee meeting will also be a chance to discuss the way forward for the strike committees; what are the political conclusions workers and working class communities need to draw after the Marikana massacre and the ongoing strike wave, says Mametlwe Sebei from the Democratic Socialist Movement, which plays a key role on the Coordinating Committee.

The mass dismissals of workers of Anglo and other mines will also be on the agenda, and community representatives will participate."

[Jolly Red Giant]

Youtube video of Mametlwe Sebei speaking at a press conference of the Joint Coordinating Strike Committee at Lonmin on Saturday.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4CVzts6SIQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4CVzts6SIQ[/ame]

[No.11]

Good coverage here:

Daily Maverick - Marikana tragedy marches towards platinum rebellion