The Shopsteward Vol 10 No 4

Beatrix emphasises profits not safety

By Moferefere Lekorotsoana, NUM Head of Publicity and Information

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and COSATU wish to send words of sympathy to the families, relatives and friends of those who lost their lives in the accident at the Beatrix mine. We are aware of the severity of this loss to both the families and the related communities of these mineworkers.

The National Union of Mineworkers is gravely concerned, and highly disturbed by this accident. It is the second within a year at the same mine and caused by the same problem - methane explosion. This recurrence is particularly worrying, especially when viewed in the context of the last accident. When the last explosion happened at this mine, the NUM proposed that mine management should develop pro-active mechanisms to avoid accidents of this nature. Evidently, based on this accident, such measures were neglected and blatantly ignored. First, in the last incident when seven workers died in similar conditions, the chief mining engineer recommended that high quality detectors be installed to monitor the methane.

These were only installed at the number one shaft, while at number two they continued with fire patrol crews. Why was this so? Second, it is known that methane explosions can be avoided, and that methane can be controlled, because it can be detected from the time it reaches about 1%. The night before the accident, the investigation teams had discovered that the fans were not working in the areas and that methane was already reading at 1.2 % and 1.6%. Third, and related to the first, the fans were not functioning prior to and in the course of this accident, thus leading to the blast.

The purpose of the fan, underground, is to help reduce heat and thus reduce the danger presented by methane. Consequently, the question is how can workers be sent into such a precarious and a potentially dangerous situation? All this points to negligence and an irresponsible act on the part of management.

In line with the NUM Resolution, we called upon our union membership at Beatrix mine - together with the mine management - to hold a memorial service and declare a day of mourning on which all production at the mine ceased. This was done with respect and with dignity in memory of the 12 deceased mineworkers. Furthermore, the NUM will be looking at ways and means to register our objection to this situation, and many other disasters like it.

We will not subsidise the mining industry with our lives and limbs

A pattern has evolved in the South African media, maybe a routine. Once there is a mine disaster there is a flurry of activity with questions asked, always the same: what happened? How many miners died? How is to blame and what is the union going to do?

Then a day or two go by with sprinkled questions on, what's the update? Finally there are no questions until the next mine disaster, whereby other disasters will be quoted. Such is the ritual. This is one of the times when mineworkers make it to the public eye, that is; when they make news.

The other time, related and yet not mentioned, is when the value of gold is counted in their human lives It is the latter that should then inform our outlook when speaking of the issue of safety in mines. While there has been a downward trend in deaths at the mines over the past three years, for example, 366 workers died in 1998, 309 in 1999, and 285 in 2000, this doesn't mean SA mines are safe. Numbers alone cannot give a true reflection of the situation.

SA boasts the deepest gold mines in the whole world, around 4 kilometres. Rock falls account for a large proportion of accidents and, in recent times, seismic events have caused rock bursts and rock falls. These disastrous occurrences can be attributed to what is generally termed pillar mining, where support structures are created for the earth wall in the process of mining. Unfortunately, due to a continued process of digging further in trying to reach the ore, high stress levels are caused and the pillars come under enormous pressure, thereby leading to rock falls and seismicity.

What is clearly disturbing at present is the recent emergence of methane, as a killer, within the gold mining industry, as at Mponeng and Beatrix. This recurrence is serious because methane is a preventable hazard. When there is proper ventilation underground, with fans working as required, the likelihood of a methane explosion is dealt with. Also there are ways of detecting methane, thereby ensuring that people are evacuated in advance where and when levels are high. The other element that compounds the situation is the bonus system paid to workers upon production. In this scenario management uses bonuses to entice workers to reach specific production targets. It is a known factor that mineworkers are poor and earn low wages.

Consequently, even in the face of danger and possible death, they will risk life and limb to get the bonus. In all the above situations, the central issue is the desire of mine management to increase production and, in turn, raise their profits and those of the company. In this pursuit of profits, the safety of mineworkers is compromised. Instead of moving forward, we brought back to another disaster and further mourning of loss of life. The conclusion one comes to is that the lives of mineworkers are cheap and can be easily dispensed with without consequence.

Obviously, mineworkers cannot be expected to continue subsidising the mining industry with their lives and limbs. Government institutions, like the Inspectorate, that are meant to act in enforcing legislation should act and ensure that they have sufficient capacity to do so. Similarly, there have been inquiries and inquests into mine disasters.

Currently there is a backlog where some inquests have not even begun, including the Beatrix disaster of 2000. From these inquiries and inquests recommendations have been made and, judging by the second disaster in Beatrix, such recommendations have not been implemented. Therefore, recommendations should be implemented and enforced.

On the other hand, the Department of Justice should demonstrate its commitment to prioritising health and safety cases, by dealing with the backlog of cases, currently, at their disposal. The Mine Health and Safety Act does cater for a situation of cooperation between DME and the Department of Justice to deal with these cases, to ensure a speedy outcome.

These delays have a bearing on families of the deceased and whether or not the culprits of the accidents can continue to operate freely within the mine situation. Clearly, on that score, justice delayed is justice not done. Health and safety in the mines should also incorporate workers, so they are consulted and adequately trained to know what to do and how, in this way, empowering workers to refuse to go into dangerous situations because of bonuses which are used as a dangling carrot in front of a donkey.

Safety is of paramount because human life is irreplaceable. Therefore, no life should be lost due to irresponsibility, negligence and a rush for profit.

Notwithstanding the political gains we have made as a country, through our struggles as a people and as workers, the struggle for a better life for all continues and will continue for as long we face an economic system controlled by the interests of capital that put profits before people. For every hard fought gain that we have achieved post 1994, our class enemies have responded with a series of counter measures against the attainment of a decent quality of life at work and in the community. Therefore we, delegates to this National Health and Safety Conference, having deliberated on the problems and challenges facing workers in general and our members in mining, construction and energy in particular, hereby unanimously adopt the following declaration and pledge our unwavering commitment to promote the dignity of workers, respect for their rights and freedoms, and their claims for just rewards for their daily sweat and toil.

Our gallant union in its short history has made tremendous strides in fighting for better living and working conditions for our members and their families. This struggle is not complete. As part of this campaign we need to ensure that workers attain a standard of life that includes access to:

To this end we call on all employers and our government to share this vision and commitment to improving the quality of life for workers in the mining, construction and energy industries. Every worker who is killed in action (at work) must be mourned during working hours. If bosses can mourn the loss of their colleagues during working time - so can we. In addition to the above we call on employers to adopt a joint policy and campaign to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS pandemic. This campaign should include the following:

We support endeavours by COSATU and the Treatment Action Campaign for access to free drugs for people living with Aids, in particular workers and the poor. We reject with contempt the continued and unashamed profiteering by the multinational companies in response to the Aids pandemic. History will judge them harshly.

In the context of the establishment of an effective and efficient healthcare and occupational safety regime for workers, we see a central and valuable role for the new democratic state. It is important for the democratic state to understand that any progressive gains made by workers in our new found democracy must not be undermined, but rather be consolidated and advanced. Workers will see the state as one that cares for its people. Only a strong state is capable of implementing its laws and policies. We therefore call on government, and we assure them of our full support, to:

Whilst we recognise that the exploitation of this country' mineral wealth by mining, construction and energy companies contributes to the economic wealth and prosperity, we also concerned that this exploitation has and continues to damage the environment and the health and safety of workers. We further note the inequitable distribution of the health and social burden borne by the previously disempowered communities e.g. Prieska.

In response to these issues that are critical for the long term health and development of our country, we hereby adopt the Draft Environmental Policy Discussion Document as testimony to NUM's contribution to fighting for the right of mining, construction and energy workers at the level of environmental policy development and implementation. Our policy is guided by the following key factors:

To this end we will campaign and call on the government, in partnership with civic organisations, NGO's and trade unions to ensure accountability, monitoring and enforcement of good environmental practices.

Revitalising and building our capacity to drive our campaign for safe and healthy workplaces

Having heard the problems and frustration workers and elected leaders face in ensuring that our workplaces are transformed into safe, clean and healthy places to live and work, delegates also agreed on a strategy for dealing with the challenge to put health and safety back into the hands of members. This strategy comprises of the following important elements:

We are convinced that the inputs, discussions and outcomes of this 7th National Health and Safety Conference provide the union with a clear platform and programme of action to step up our efforts with renewed vigour and purpose to make our workplaces safe, clean and healthy. Our members' lives and well-being depend on this.

15 000 killed each year

It is estimated that more than 15 000 mine workers are killed every year throughout the world, though many accidents go unreported. The Beatrix mine disaster confirms South Africa's shameful place as the second most dangerous country in the world for mine workers. Only China has a worse record.

The International Confederation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) has published a list of ten major mining disasters in 2000, apart from those in China. Seven out of ten were in South Africa! The others were in Ukraine, Turkey and Nigeria.

But China's mines are the world's deadliest, with more than 4,800 miners killed last year in explosions, gas leaks, floods, fires, cave-ins and other accidents. China produces a quarter of the world's coal but accounts for four-fifths of the world's coal industry deaths.

In just six weeks alone, from 1 April to 16 May, Chinese coal mines suffered 62 major accidents that killed three or more people, with a total death toll of 503. In October 2000, 150 miners were killed in a gas explosion that tore through a coal mine in Zhengzhou in southern China.

For every million tonnes of coal produced, China had 11 times as many reported fatalities as Russia, 15 times as many as India and 182 times as many as the United States.

Most accidents are caused by gas explosions and occur in small mines. The Legal Daily says the safety situation is "extremely serious" and reports that the government has ordered all state-run mines to stop production at small pits immediately and close them down by the end of June. It has threatened punishment for non-compliance. Mines were also ordered to fix safety problems or face closure.

Though by no means accident-free, the large state mines usually give workers better job security, health care and pensions and their operations are more mechanised. The Beijing Daily blames the recent rash of accidents on an upturn in China's coal market that has prompted mines to increase production while ignoring safety. State mines contravene regulations by contracting small pits to individual entrepreneurs.

The government has begun to close down tens of thousands of the smallest and most dangerous mines but, as in Zhengzhou, some of them are nevertheless secretly reopening - it was shut down in 1999 but the owner illegally restarted production in 2000.

Members first, says NUM

NUM Central Committee Declaration

More than 700 NUM delegates gathered in Mafikeng from 19-21 April to take stock of the progress made since the 2000 Congress. This was also the first national gathering of NUM after successful integration of CAWU and landslide victory of the ANC in the December 2000 local government elections.

The CC's theme was Members First- Today and Forever and 2001 was declared The year of the member. This shows that indeed NUM is a revolutionary trade union that takes care of its members' interests. The working class challenges can only be effectively resolved by a class solution.

Therefore the Central Committee considered reports on political, organisational, economic and international matters, and, in order to advance and maintain the revolutionary spirit of a working class organization the CC, made the following pronouncement:

Servicing of members is the lifeblood of the union and therefore by servicing members we will earn the working hegemony over society. We commit ourselves to the concept of quality service to our members as anchored by the Ten Service Dimensions, that is:

We recommit ourselves to take up these campaigns and pledge to take them forward for the final push:

Volume 10 No 4 - June 2001

Beatrix mine disaster

Workers news

Beatrix : safety first	15 000 killed each year
Put people before profits	Members first, says NUM