The Marikana massacre in August 2012 forever altered the South African mining industry, particularly in the way labour unions and mining companies relate to each other. We spoke to SAIIA Research Fellow, Ross Harvey, about the state of the industry today.
We asked him:
- How would you describe the mining labour landscape since Marikana?
- The South African government will not entertain any talk of nationalisation and is desperate to allay investor fears especially during labour unrest in the mining sector. Are they doing enough to support the industries in terms of facilitating growth and job security?
- Amendments to the current minerals legislation are currently before parliament and have generated some controversy. What are the main points of contention and the implications for the future of the industry?
- How do you expect this to be resolved?