Rustenburg -
Members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union employed by Impala Platinum arrived at the memorial service for slain miners in Marikana on Thursday.
Earlier in the morning they held their own memorial service for the 34 slain Lonmin workers. They arrived dressed in green union t-shirts with black ribbons.
The T-shirts had the words “No amount of oppression will deter our freedom of association” printed on the back.
One of the workers, Gert Modise, said the ribbons symbolised their broken hearts.
“Our comrades died fighting for decent pay. We hope their deaths will reveal to the world that mineworkers are not paid well.”
He said it was difficult to accept that 34 workers had died in one day.
“I cannot believe this. It is like I'm dreaming,” he said with tears streaming down his face.
It was difficult to encourage striking Lonmin miners to return to work and negotiate for better wages after 34 workers were killed, he said.
“I will advise them to negotiate a written agreement, but to say to them to return to work, it will be difficult because some of the dead workers worked next to them.”
Modise explained that after the strike at Impala Platinum, where workers demanded a R9000 salary, things had improved and they were happy, although they did not quite get the amount they wanted.
“The pay is better and we are still negotiating,” he said. - Sapa