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National Union of Mineworkers (South Africa)
Encyclopedia
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is a trade union
in South Africa
. With a membership of 300,000 it is the largest affiliate of the Congress of South African Trade Unions
. It was founded in 1982 and grew rapidly, winning bargaining recognition from the Chamber of Mines
in 1983.
NUN campaigned successfully in the 1980s for the end of the job reservation system, a system which ensured that the best-paid jobs were allocated to whites.
NUM is affiliated internationally with the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions
.
On 4 December 2007, the Union went on strike to protest working conditions in South Africa's mines. The strike was spurred on by a rise in worker fatalities from 2006 to 2007, despite a government plan in October to reduce fatalities. Less than 5% of mineworkers came to work on that day. http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/11AF1913-30B2-42C7-8BFA-406CF0412E81.htm
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. With a membership of 300,000 it is the largest affiliate of the Congress of South African Trade Unions
Congress of South African Trade Unions
The Congress of South African Trade Unions is a trade union federation in South Africa. It was founded in 1985 and is the biggest of the country’s three main trade union federations, with 21 affiliated trade unions, altogether organising 1.8 million workers.-Establishment:COSATU was established in...
. It was founded in 1982 and grew rapidly, winning bargaining recognition from the Chamber of Mines
South African Chamber of Mines
The Chamber of Mines is a South African mining-industry employer organisation. It was founded on 7 December 1887 in Johannesburg. Its members include famous South African mining houses such as Anglo American De Beers, Goldfields and Harmony....
in 1983.
NUN campaigned successfully in the 1980s for the end of the job reservation system, a system which ensured that the best-paid jobs were allocated to whites.
NUM is affiliated internationally with the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions
International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions
International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions is a global union federation of trade unions. As of November 2007, ICEM represented 467 industrial trade unions in 132 countries, claiming a membership of over 20 million workers.The organization represents workers...
.
2007 Strike
On 4 December 2007, the Union went on strike to protest working conditions in South Africa's mines. The strike was spurred on by a rise in worker fatalities from 2006 to 2007, despite a government plan in October to reduce fatalities. Less than 5% of mineworkers came to work on that day. http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/11AF1913-30B2-42C7-8BFA-406CF0412E81.htm
External links
- NUM official site.