Over 500 Workers Held Underground in South African Gold Mine Amid Union Dispute

Workers Caught in Dangerous Standoff at Johannesburg’s Modder East Mine as Police, Union Officials Struggle to Establish Contact with Hostage Takers in Long-Standing Labor Dispute

Over 500 workers at Johannesburg's Modder East mine were trapped underground by a rival union, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), who sought recognition as the sole union at the mine.
Several miners were injured in violent confrontations, with one individual suffering a serious head injury. A paramedic and security officer who attempted to rescue the injured miner were also taken captive.
The trapped miners, members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), included engineers and female employees.
Despite deploying police and using mine telephones and two-way radios, attempts to establish contact with the hostage-takers have proved unsuccessful.
The standoff reveals a long-standing rivalry between NUM and AMCU, which have been competing for bargaining rights over various South African mines. This rivalry was partly responsible for the 2012 Marikana massacre, a horrific episode in South African mining history.