Thirty-one South African mineworkers who staged a sit-in at Sibanye Stillwater Khwezi shaft in Rustenburg, North West have emerged from the mine on Wednesday evening but say they will continue to stage protests within the mine complex.
They were part of over 200 aggrieved workers who have stayed underground since Monday afternoon, with over 95% exiting the mine on Wednesday morning,
The protests were over the proposed employee share scheme (ESOP) for the company’s Kroondal Mine employees.
The mineworkers allege they have not been included in the proposed payment plans in the Employee Share Ownership Scheme (ESOP) for Kroondal employees.
Ongoing negotiations
However, in a statement to employees, mine management stressed that discussions were continuing between the company and unions regarding the details of the proposed scheme, according to South Africa’s SABC.
Management also says the proposal has not yet been implemented because the acquisition of Anglo Platinum’s 50% share in the Kroondal PSA transaction has not been concluded.
The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Unions (AMCU) says it will continue engagement with Sibanye Stillwater.
(Sibanye-Stillwater) is one of the world's largest primary miners of platinum, palladium, rhodium, and gold.
In 2023, the company announced its annual profit plunged by as much as 91%, mainly due to a sharp decline in platinum group metal (PGM) prices.
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