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The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) demands an immediate payment of salaries to hundreds of mineworkers at Lily Gold Mine in Barberton, Mpumalanga. The company was supposed to have paid workers their salaries last week Thursday.

“It is very important that workers get their salaries to be able to take care of their families. These workers went through a lot after they were trapped 80 metres underground, they do not deserve any other stress or pain”, says NUM Deputy President Joseph Montisetse.

Lily Gold Mine suspended operations two months ago after Solomon Nyerende,  Yvonne Mnisi and Pretty Nkambule got trapped in a container that plunged into a massive hole. The workers were advised to stay at home until those trapped were rescued and brought to surface.

The whole community is in distress as most of the people there were employed by the mine.

“Also the failure by the company to comply with the Social Labour Plan (SLP) continues to be a major problem. Lily Mine is completely doing nothing for the locals, one of the main reasons why the NUM is opposing to it being placed on a business rescue administration. We completely reject the idea,” says Montisetse.

The NUM demands that those poor workers still trapped underground be brought to surface as soon as possible. The thoughts of having them deep underground are highly unbearable.

The NUM will fight tooth and nail to make sure that those trapped workers are rescued dead or alive so that their families can find closure.

Issued by National Union of Mineworkers