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Protesters in Barberton, Mpumalanga, are demonstrating at Galaxy Gold Mine, also known as Agnes Gold Mine, in response to potential layoffs. The company has announced plans to lay off 70 of the 306 mineworkers due to low commodity prices.
One anonymous employee blames the employer for not providing proper working tools, stating, ““What they told us in the meeting, they say we are not giving them the good production. That is why they want to retrench us, while the problem is only on their side. Because they don’t want to buy the quality machines, they don’t want to buy quality material and they don’t even want to hire the skilled people to do the job.” The employee adds, ““But when you are talking to them, they say the company doesn’t have money to buy the quality machines. We want to hear that nobody is going to be suspended and nobody is going to be retrenched.”
