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The illegal strikes are doing tremendous damage to South Africa at the moment and most of us will end up paying more for petrol and electricity in future because of the Rand weakness as a result. Ultimately though, the workers themselves will pay a price, because even if some of their ridiculous demands for increases are given, they are usually given on the basis that other staff members are retrenched or fired.
There will be more people out of work and it is slowly going to lead to the mechanisation of our mines. Much has been made of the fact that South African miners earn less than miners overseas, even though South African miners are in the top 20% of earners in South Africa. What people forget, and the experts have been saying this, is that the overseas mines are much more mechanised than they are here, and so you have a higher skilled type of worker whose job is to oversee machines. Ultimately, that is all that is going to happen in South Africa as well – the mines will get tired of these constant and never-ending strikes, they will dismiss the vast majority of their workers and slowly replace them with machines, as is done overseas.
The economy will be worse off and the mines ultimately will not have to put up with illegal strikes and inflated salary claims that any reasonable person must know they are not going to be given. The “all or nothing” approach of the miners will lead to nothing in the end, just as it did for the coalminers in England during the time of Margaret Thatcher, who went on a prolonged strike that basically saw the end of their industry. One hopes that reason prevails before another 10,000 or 15,000 jobs are lost.
Posted by Michael de Broglio on Wednesday 17-Oct-12
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Comments
Lucretia said:
on Thursday 25-Oct-12 02:21 PM
We are definitely losing investments into this country. But, do you think the big wigs will tell their followers this........no because then they will have nothing to give to their followers. Old saying and so true to this country, "none are so blind as those who do not wish to see".
Thabitha said:
on Thursday 18-Oct-12 12:13 PM
I am not sure why nowadays our country is affected by too many strikes, it looks like there is something wrong somewhere and people are not aware that this leads to high rate of jobless.
cherise said:
on Thursday 18-Oct-12 11:03 AM
I really hope for their sake this matter gets sorted out soon because either way this may result in a loose loose situation as you have stated above, their demands are impossible.
I think the miners are so blinded by recieving more money they do not stop to realise that for every action there is a consquence to someone or thing. That could result in long term damage
Liesl said:
on Thursday 18-Oct-12 09:52 AM
There is no excuse for this behaviour. Our school systems were not so bad they have in the meantime gone down considerably. They can get off their little victim chairs of we did not have the privilege of education it is 18 years later and we are no further with them. I am not listening anymore I'm tired of the excuses for bad behaviour.
Robyn said:
on Wednesday 17-Oct-12 01:17 PM
They are animals. Imagine if I were to decide I'm striking because in my opinion I need an increase of R10 000.. Haha! Please. Not one single person has tried to handle this properly, not one.
Simone said:
on Wednesday 17-Oct-12 12:27 PM
The way this whole thing started put the workers on a really bad page. How do you decapitate a police officer and expect nothing to come from that?
From the start this has been ripped out of proportions and the workers took this way to far, as did our government.
Juliet said:
on Wednesday 17-Oct-12 12:06 PM
Unfortunately, no matter how true your message is, even if it is spelt out in their childrens' blood, they will not listen and continue to fight in a blind rage for things that are not justified for them to have. We all struggle, work, suffer, but we don't all damage other peoples' property, police stations and kill people just because we feel we deserve more. It is disgusting behaviour
Genevieve said:
on Wednesday 17-Oct-12 12:04 PM
I don't know whose fault it is that these people react the way they do - is it the fact that our education is up to and they have not learned how to apply logic or is it the government or third parties planting seeds in their head? The thing is, one union's members gets away with it, and all other follows suit. It is really sad that our country is coming to the this. And the ones that are ultimately affected, are the ones that go to work everyday to earn a salary to survive for the next month, because of everything getting more and more expensive. Something really needs to be done, and definitely sooner than later!
Angelique said:
on Wednesday 17-Oct-12 10:24 AM
It would be wise if the trade unions or someone they trust advise them of this! Maybe it would allow them to think twice before having these illegal strikes. But if death didnt wake them up, nothing will.
Johannesburg based attorney specializing in personal injury matters including Road Accident Fund claims and medical negligence matters. My interests include golf, reading and the internet and the way it is constantly developing. I have a passion for life and a desire for less stress!
