Considering the work stoppages and violent clashes that have become the norm at South African precious-metals mines, perhaps the miners were wondering exactly what they were getting for their money. An expose by South Africa’s Daily Maverick has uncovered a system where miners such as AngloGold Ashanti Limited (ADR) (NYSE:AU) and BHP Billiton Limited (ADR) (NYSE:BHP) surreptitiously paid for the salaries of the heads of the local mining unions to keep the mine workers in line, and it’s only because the miners sought to end the “uncomfortable arrangement” with the unions that the matter came to light.
Mining in mineral-rich South Africa has been contentious for years, but in recent months, clashes have become particularly violent, with a strike last August at Lonmin’s Marikana platinum mine leaving 44 people dead and bringing the crisis to the forefront.
Mining operations have long been subject to the vagaries of strikes and violence in South Africa. Harmony Gold Mining Co. (ADR) (NYSE:HMY) suspended its operations at Kusasalethu because of security concerns, Gold Fields Limited (ADR) (NYSE:GFI) lost 35,000 ounces of production and had its credit rating reduced by Standard & Poor’s because of labor unrest (and reduced its full-year production forecast by 200,000 ounces), and Xstrata has had to halt activity several times as a result of union violence.
From Barrick Gold Corporation (USA) (NYSE:ABX) to Kinross Gold Corporation (USA) (NYSE:KGC), miners have been looking to exit from their South African holdings — partially as a result to bring costs under control as commodity prices have plunged, but also as a means of insulating themselves from the vagaries of the country’s labor problems.
The Daily Maverick indicated that jealousy over the payouts may have been a contributing factor to the violence, as unions on the outs wanted in on the lucrative stipends the others were receiving. Since the payments were said to be originally enacted to create a more harmonious relationship with the unions, the escalating level of clashes may have left the miners wondering what they were getting for their money.
It was a relationship that was bound to be problematic considering the inherent conflicts of interest, and ending the system may help to ameliorate, even if it doesn’t eliminate, the violent and bloody protests of labor unions.
The article South African Miners No Longer Willing to Pay to Play originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Rich Duprey and The Motley Fool have no position in any of the stocks mentioned.
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