Dewet Drilling, mine union clash
Tefo Pheage | Thursday July 7, 2016 16:08
The union has accused the company of blocking its workforce to unionise with them while the company argues that its workforce do not meet the stipulated threshold to make such an undertaking.
Narrating the story to Mmegi, the BMWU’s national organising coordinator, Abel Bukha said the company’s workers applied for membership but the company refused to release them, arguing that they do not satisfy the required one-third threshold.
“They further argue that they are also into manufacturing and hence their workforce is divided across sectors. This is clear that they do not want their workforce to unionise so that they can oppress them,” he said.
Bhuka went further to say they were told that out of the 305 workers only 58 are eligible to join the union. “But when we sought the numbers of the said workers they went around us and retrenched them and we hear that they are also retrenching the ones in Rasesa as well,” he said. He said the company should know that its core business is mining and should not use tactics to avoid unions by saying they are also into other sectors. Dewet Drilling company, which has been in operation since 1948, argue that it does not only do mining but also falls under manufacturing. Its director, Rudie Dewet told Mmegi that the union is being unfair to them.
“We cannot release our employees to the union when they do not meet the stipulated threshold, as soon as they do we will gladly release them. That’s our position. As we speak our employees are scattered around sectors and because we do not employ large numbers it becomes a problem,” Dewet responded.
He continued that as things stand, he is the one who is taking care of his employee’s conditions of service and welfare.
“I know what’s best for my employees and people should know that what matters today is to keep people’s jobs because the economy is still struggling which means less business,” he said.
The company focuses on the drilling of deep and large diameter boreholes in the mining sector. This specialisation is made possible through custom designed and built drill rigs that are able to withstand the extreme conditions faced by the mining sector in Southern Africa.
The company expanded its operations in 2010 joining forces with Bauer Maschinen GmbH to create Bauer Dewet Equipment (Pty) Limited.