South African Miners Leave Gold Mine After Three-Day Union Standoff

Over 100 Miners Escape Hostage Situation, Mining Company Estimates Approximately 110-120 Union Supporters Held Over 450 of Their Colleagues Underground Demanding Formal Union Recognition

Over 100 miners escaped from a gold mine in South Africa after a three-day standoff with a rival, unregistered union that demanded formal recognition and held around 450 miners underground.
The escalating dispute started when members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) prevented their colleagues from leaving the mine near Johannesburg, alleging that the miners willingly stayed underground as a part of the protest.
It is estimated that around 110-120 miners were supporters of the unregistered union, which claims to represent a majority of the miners at Modder East
The current standoff saw around 15 miners injured in scuffles and a paramedic and security officer, sent for evacuation, taken hostage. However, there were no signs of violence as miners left the mine.
The mining company, Gold One International, currently requires its miners to be represented by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), sparking friction with AMCU, which seeks to be recognized as the union of choice by the miners.