The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Friday it would host the TB and Silicosis Awareness Day in Matlosana, in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality, North West Province.
NUM said it had partnered with Mine Health and Safety Council (MHSC) in order to jointly raise awareness to workers about TB and silicosis.
This is the second event of this nature for the year following the one the NUM had in Carletonville, west of Johannesburg, in June.
In May, the South Gauteng High Court issued a landmark judgment providing that miners and the dependants of deceased miners could proceed in a class action lawsuit against the gold mining industry.
Thousands of mineworkers are claimed to have died after contracting the fatal lung disease from the gold dust while working underground.
But six gold mining houses have since applied to the Supreme Court of Appeal for a leave to appeal all aspects of the class action ruling, including the ruling on transmissibility, which states that dependants of deceased miners could claim compensation.
NUM health and safety secretary, Erick Gcilitshana, said mineworkers had a risk of contracting TB that was almost three times greater than that of the general population, with an incidence rate that was 10 times higher than the level of a TB health emergency.
In a statement, Gcilitshana said they were expecting mineworkers to come out in numbers.
“We are expecting about 3,000 workers and ex-miners to attend from Motlosana mining areas,” Gcilitshana said.
“We are reaching out to the people especially when there are about 103 000 workers with outstanding compensation money which amount to R1.5 billion.”
Gcilitshana said many mineworkers in Southern Africa were made more vulnerable to difficulties they face in accessing health and social services, largely as a result of frequent migratory movements across provincial and national borders, and informal employment arrangements that may not cover health care.
“We are also engaging on the integration of Occupational Diseases in Mines and Works Act (ODMWA) and Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA) for workers to be better compensated and the turn around time to pay out to those suffering from occupational diseases,” Gcilitshana said.
MEC of Health in the North West Province Magome Masike will deliver a keynote address.
NUM deputy president Joseph Montisetse and Mine Health and Safety Council chief executive Thabo Dube will also address the event. The event at James Motlatsi Stadium will start 10am on Saturday.
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