Johannesburg - The Congress of the SA Trade Unions will hold a protest action against the dismissal of illegally striking mineworkers, it said on Tuesday.
“In the coming weeks, we will be engaged in a massive mobilisation of workers throughout the economy to engage in solidarity protests in support of the workers' demands in the mining industry,” said Cosatu spokesman Norman Mampane in a statement.
Cosatu said it was disgusted and angered by the “mass dismissals” of mineworkers engaged in unprotected strikes.
“We are aware that some mining companies have opportunistically been using such a fragile trick, to cold heartedly dismiss workers without paying them retrenchment packages that they would have been required to pay.”
Mampane called on mining companies to reinstate workers who had already missed the ultimatums instructing miners to return to work.
“And we also call for the restoration in full of all the benefits that accrue to these workers as though they were never dismissed.”
He said: “If the mining bosses do not accede to this demand, the totality of the capitalist class will face the full might of organised workers and also will face stiff resistance in every corner of the economy.” - Sapa