Over 400 Gold One miners are still underground since Thursday evening and their employer is concerned about their wellbeing. The miners have staged a sit-in after 50 of their colleagues were dismissed on Thursday in connection to the first sit-in.

GOLD ONE MINE TROUBLES 

Head of legal at Gold One, Ziyaad Hassam, said engagements with involved parties are continuing. "They are angry about recent dismissals and the refusal to recognise trade union, Amcu. However, our biggest concern at the moment is that the workers are running out of food and some of them are kept underground against their will," said Hassam. He added that they have called off shifts to address the situation and engage those at the forefront of the sit in.

"It?s not fair because about 70 or so who are trapped down there are middle managers and contractors with no affiliation to unions. So for them to be caught in the middle of this is unfair, especially to their families who are deeply worried about their safety," he said.

NOT THE SOLUTION

Two months ago over 500 workers staged a sit in underground over organisational rights between two unions, Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).

In October the NUM voluntarily agreed to end its closed-shop agreement in a bid to ease tensions and put an end to the three day sit in.

"Both AMCU and NUM have distanced themselves from the situation as we are having high level meetings with both unions "Hassam said.

 He said It?s unclear when or if the mineworkers will resurface.