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 Replies: 15 / Views: 1,854 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
558 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1200 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4008 Posts |
My 1st reaction is to support the miners because of their hot, dirty, and dangerous work. It should be worth a good wage. I do question the need for a 462% increase, though.
I am wondering if a bunch of Chinese miners will be brought in with Chinese troops to protect them as a way to break the strike. That could happen. Communist countries always support the workers UNTIL they strike against the government and then the government is ALWAYS right. While these miners are not government workers, China is building many new relationships in Africa these days and supporting gold production seems like something that they would be interested in doing.
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
I was thinking along the lines of Ed. Maybe not chinese workers but at some point theyll just say enough and the military will come in and make them work or theyll find others who will. Theyll only put up with this for so long
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5862 Posts |
My son said his dream job would be to work in a gold mine.
Until I explained that miners don't actually get to keep any of what they find...
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
Lol id be on the first plane there if you could keep what you found
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
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the military will come in and make them work or theyll find others who will. I don't believe they will be able to Make them work but finding others that will is a definite possibility |
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Valued Member
United States
53 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1200 Posts |
You got it, Tw... Governments (when they're displeased with the behavior of the current workforce) have had a love for scabs which has a long and rich history. One of the best evidences of it in recent decades in the US was the President Reagan vs Air Traffic Controllers fight (a scrap in which the ATCs got decimated).
Before that, you'd have to go back to the coal mine strikes of a few generations earlier, when the US military got called in to stabilize the scene.
Scabs have a history of being governmentally sanctioned when it suits the immediate needs of the government - in the US and elsewhere.
However - the present S African govt has to maintain its post-apartheid "hooray for the working man - common man - little man" non-elitist posture and image. That'll weigh heavily against the possibility of the govt bringing in scabs - even though their doing so would be a lifetime "best ever deal" for any Chinese labor they did bring in.
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
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I don't believe they will be able to Make them work but finding others that will is a definite possibility All depends on how brutal they would be. I dunno how far they would actually go but some of the old Soviet tactics would have them back in the mines in no time. I dont approve of it, but it happens a lot in other parts of the world |
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Moderator
 United States
16679 Posts |
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Until I explained that miners don't actually get to keep any of what they find... Actually, the 16 to 1 Mine in Alleghany,CA, used to let their miners keep a percentage of what they found...they might have done away with that cause I can't seem to find the info about it anywhere  Anyway, here is a link to the mine. I've toured it. It's amazing. http://www.origsix.com/print.asp?id=191swcoin.ecrater.com
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
7096 Posts |
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South African Gold miners are holding out for more pay. This should affect the PM prices.
with the amount of gold being mined in Australia and other countries I very much doubt that this will affect the gold price 1 iota If you offered a Miner $2100 a Month in Australia there would be NO mines operating. I think $450 per month is slave labour wages no wonder they want more for doing a hard,dirty and dangerous job. I think the government SHOULD step in but not on the side of the Mine owners but on the side of the Miners. In Aus the Mines pay GOOD money for wages and infrastructure and can STILL make outstanding profits on the world markets. I cannot see why this can't be the case anywhere else in the world, Including Africa. From the early days of De Beers the mines is Africa have been using the workforce as a slave labour pool and this should STOP, Time for them to join the 20th Century  Edited by trout1105
10/19/2012 6:04 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4008 Posts |
I agree, Trout, and don't think that anyone here is suggesting that the miners in South Africa do not deserve a good wage. However, the definition of "good" varies a lot around the world in terms of what can be bought at what cost. Taking that into account, the miners should be well paid for their efforts but not exorbitantly paid.
I would imagine that more of the mines in Australia are newer with better mining technology that is just plain more efficient. This could allow them to pay a good wage and still generate a good profit. An older less efficient mine might not be able to do that.
Sounds to me as if this situation is ripe for a good independent mediator to come in, listen very closely to the concerns of both sides, and then make a decision that both miners and companies can live with.
I also agree that they should get a part of what they find as well. That would be a pretty good incentive to be as productive as possible, as long as it does not generate fights among the miners.
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Valued Member
Canada
220 Posts |
The cost per ounce to mine gold in SA is way higher than in Australia and most other places around the world, mainly because the veins run at a very sharp angle and run extremely deep underground, so the profit margins of Australian mines cannot be directly compared with those in SA. Next point: Compared to the average wage per capita in SA, miners are paid quite well. Final point: The current SA govt is run by the African National Congress, and they are thinly veiled socialists and communists, having received all their support, training, etc from the Soviet Union back when they were using terrorist tactics and guerilla warfare in their fight against the SA govt, their concept of democracy is, um, 'interesting' to put it mildly. Every day they get deeper into bed with the Chinese, so don't rule out draconian measures to keep the gold flowing and their pockets lined, they already shot a bunch of miners so who knows how far they would go...
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
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African National Congress, and they are thinly veiled socialists and communists, having received all their support, training, etc from the Soviet Union back when they were using terrorist tactics and guerilla warfare in their fight against the SA govt, their concept of democracy is, um, 'interesting' to put it mildly. Every day they get deeper into bed with the Chinese, so don't rule out draconian measures to keep the gold flowing and their pockets lined, they already shot a bunch of miners so who knows how far they would go...  Theyll humor the situation just long enough so that the people wont turn on them when they act if necessary |
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Valued Member
Canada
220 Posts |
I was born and raised in South Africa, only moved to Canada a few years ago, so I have some knowledge of how things operate there, on many different levels...
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Replies: 15 / Views: 1,854 |
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Posted 10/18/2012 8:18 pm
