SIBANYE STILLWATER LIMITED They staged a sit-in strike over unpaid employee share ownership scheme funds. But the company says they do not qualify yet.
More than 200 workers at
Operations at the mine have been disrupted by the striking workers since Monday. Workers say they were due to receive the mine's Employee Share Option Schemes (ESOP) on 31 May. However, the company said the protesting workers did not yet qualify for the scheme.
By Tuesday, many of the workers had abandoned the protest and resurfaced, stating hunger and health issues.
Mahlangu blamed the mine for creating division among workers by only paying some workers their shares from the scheme.
Another worker, who asked not to be named, said they had meetings with unions in February and we were told that the company had gained profit. "In May, we had multiple meetings and the management assured us that we would be paid but we never received that money. Other employees like those at the Marikana Shaft were paid," he said.
Executive Vice President at
He said that the 2023 wage agreement signed by the company and the unions -- NUM and AMCU -- provided that the workers would only qualify for ESOP once Sibanye had 100% ownership of Kroondal. Currently it's owned 50% with Anglo Platinum.
He said they expected the agreement to be done before the end of 2024. He added that the strike had been declared unprotected by the courts. "Some may face dismissal as a result."
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