End of South Africa's platinum mine strike signals end of ANC domination
Johannesburg-S.A. (June 25) After five months, South Africa's platinum miners strike has ended with a deal that will see the lowest paid workers receiving increases of R1,000 (£55) a month.
In around 20 years from now, when someone, somewhere, considers the moments that really brought long-term change to the South African political system, this strike is going to feature.
In a way, it has been the political story of the last year or so. Since the Marikana shootings, when post-apartheid South African police opened fire on striking miners, killing 34 and injuring 78, the conflict playing out on the platinum belt has been the strongest indication yet that the political hegemony of the ANC is now over.
With a broad brushstroke caveat that must be included in an analysis like this, what we’ve had up until now is black people voting ANC, and everyone else beginning to vote Democratic Alliance. This is the first big action taken by a non-ANC force – the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) – in which black people were in the van that led to very real change.
Consider just the economic impact: South Africa's economy shrank by 0.6% in the first quarter only because of this strike. This is a very real demonstration of political power by an organisation that is black, and not a part of the ANC.
In fact it is opposed to the ANC and its allies, in particular the more established mining union the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) – Amcu's rival.
Just this one fact alone could be a game-changer. It shows that there are now more actors in politics, that the game has more players who have power in their own right. Should Amcu continue to grow into other sectors, with the weapon of striking it now has, it could become very powerful indeed.
Already it is being courted by the metalworkers union Numsa, which is preparing to create its own “workers formation” later this year. Surely Amcu is going to give significant weight to that new movement, once it gets going?
Some of the thousands of South Africa's striking miners from the Lonmin platinum mine marching to the gates of the Karee Mine to demand higher wages.
Striking miners march to demand higher wages. Photograph: Kim Ludbrook/EPA
Whatever happens, though, the ANC is now maybe at the height of its power; it is unlikely to ever again control so many parts of the country so thoroughly, through government and the allied unions. Without the power it used to have on the mines through the NUM, things are certain to change.
Then we have to consider the other big lesson. The current labour system in this country, with its cosy series of meetings in which all the people concerned know and understand each other, is over. No longer can the NUM deal with someone who really represents its former general secretary Cyril Ramaphosa (turned businessman and Lonmin board member - now the deputy president). It’s no longer the system where if a company is holding out for too long, a minister can maybe apply a little pressure on the bosses. Now things are going the other way. The government is more likely to ask bosses to hold out against the Amcu, in a bid to break them, and thus help the NUM and the ANC.
There was an unguarded moment from the chief negotiator at the Chamber of Mines, Dr Elize Strydom, that really demonstrated how the world has changed. In an interview with the Sunday Times, she said about dealing with AMCU: “I quickly realised that their negotiator had no knowledge of the industry. You have to talk about a rock drill operator, winding-engine drivers and why they’re paid what they’re paid, and you see the non-comprehension in the eyes of the negotiator of the union.”
In other words, dealing with Amcu is a whole new ball game. This is not something that is going to be easy to manage.
But it will be easy compared to trying to get mining executives to cut their salaries. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange rules that forced Anglo American Platinum to release the details of its bonuses for bosses in the middle of the strike revealed what is really happening in our economy. Those with no skills but willing to break their backs underground get a pittance; those who won a lottery of life get paid millions to stay above the ground.
No one believes that those with skills should not be paid what they’re worth. But this situation is untenable and unsustainable. And it’s not about the question of whether paying a handful of people less will allow tens of thousands to get much more. It’s about the symbolism.
But I am not optimistic that this is going to change.
What could well change, not that it will necessarily help, is the law. The main message from all of the ANC officials at last week’s state of the nation address, and particularly ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe, is that the party wants to change the Labour Relations act to prevent a strike like this again. On what planet is the Labour Relations act responsible for this?
Source: TheGuardian
