SAfrica union threatens strike at Anglo coal unit

Sun Nov 8, 2009 10:50am GMT
 
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* Union gives Anglo American 7 days to respond to demands

* Says failure will lead to indefinite strike

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 8 (Reuters) - South Africa's biggest workers' union will hold a strike at Anglo American's (AAL.L) coal unit if company officials fail to respond to demands for better working conditions and benefits, the union's spokesman said on Sunday.

Lesiba Seshoka, spokesman for the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said hundreds of workers had delivered the list of demands to Anglo Coal in Johannesburg during a protest march on Saturday and would give the company a week to reply.

"We have given Anglo Coal seven days to respond to the demands and to tell us what processes they will take to act on the demands," Seshoka told Reuters.

"If they do not respond within that period then we will have an indefinite strike action."

The demands include a call for the company to fulfill its pledge to provide funeral cover to families of miners and for it to build childcare facilities for its female employees.

The union said Anglo had failed to fulfill the child care agreement, reached in 2002/2003, and also accused the company of victimisation of its workers over HIV/AIDS.  Continued...

 

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