Mineworkers were bulldozed into returning to work while they were unprepared and vulnerable to infection
A mineworker walks at the end of his shift at the Sibanye-Stillwater mine in Carletonville. Picture: REUTERS/SIPHIWE SIBEKO
Observations made so far paint a gloomy picture. Regarding mineworkers, most were bulldozed into returning to work when they were unprepared and vulnerable to being exposed to the virus. We are now witnessing the consequences, with daily increases in the number of positive cases reported at various mining houses. This is untenable.
Before the first national lockdown announcement in March, the National Union of Mineworkers expressed serious concerns as it foresaw that the health and safety of workers would be compromised since it is difficult to maintain social distancing underground. Section 23 of the Mine Health and Safety Act empowers workers to refuse to perform unhealthy or unsafe work if they have reason to believe that controls are inadequate.
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