Metalworkers’ giant union should be firing on all cylinders – but it is not since ferromanganese Assmang frustrated efforts by union- appointed independent industrial expert to resume investigations. 

The ferrometal smelter in Cato Ridge, outside Pietermaritzburg is being re-evaluated after a fatal blast on the furnace six, three weeks ago, which left six metalworkers burnt to death.

University of Cape Town’s Industrial Health Resource Group expert, Nick Haywood was appointed by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa to investigate the cause of the explosion, but Assmang management refused him access into the company’s electronic data and from interviewing workers in the plant.

We are surprised to learn that Assmang management claimed that the assessment has been completed and recommendation have been made to that effect when electronic data required for critical records and charts provided for evidence were blank.

Numsa is also bewildered by the company anouncement that it was ready to resume operations at the end of the month after the Labour Ministry issued prohibition notices to shut down the furnaces until proper investigations were completed. We will mobilize to ensure the furnaces are not re-opened until there is certainty about the safety of our members in the workplace.

It is disgusting to say the least, that those stumbling blocks are only removed now three weeks after the incident when the expert chosen by the company had completed his investigations.

The company has set right all the technical obstacles which would allow NUMSA appointed expert to start investigations next week. The explosion took place on February 24, 2008.

Assmang is facing another long-drawn inquiry into the spate of incidents of excessive exposure and debilitating manganese sicknesses.

For more information: Mziwakhe Hlangani @ 082 9407116

E-mail : mziwakheh@numsa.org.za

Sources

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