Namibian miners: 'Rio Tinto is racist'
WINDHOEK — Rio Tinto, the world's biggest private mining company, has been accused of "racist practices" in Namibia by the trade union representing mining workers.
On June 19, the Mineworkers' Union of Namibia (MUN) issued a statement after the company suddenly pulled out of negotiations to end racial discrimination on the job.
Recalling that Rio Tinto was "in cahoots" with the South African apartheid regime during its illegal occupation of Namibia, which ended in 1989, the MUN described the company's withdrawal from bargaining as a "calculated effort" to maintain racist practices from the apartheid era.
Eight years after independence, the MUN notes, Rio Tinto continues to maintain racial segregation in company housing, with the best estates reserved for whites. Black employees are paid "rock-bottom" wages while "white counterparts are paid way above the maximum of the common scale in what is termed an inducement band".
The MUN also says that white and black workers are treated differently when involved in safety incidents: "The former are just counselled while the latter receive harsh punitive actions ranging from final warnings to dismissals".
The union proposed a moratorium on disciplinary action until measures to end discrimination had been agreed. In response, management unilaterally halted collective bargaining.
The end of race discrimination has been a major issue between miners and Rio Tinto in Namibia since the country gained its independence. The union says the company's walkout from bargaining amounts to a demand for the continued entrenchment of racism.
A special cyber-campaign on Rio Tinto can be accessed at <www.icem.org>.