Miners Released from South African Gold Mine After 3-Day Underground Standoff
Miners at a gold mine in South Africa, who were involved in a union dispute, are finally leaving the mine after being underground for three days. Over 100 miners had escaped earlier, while around 550 remained underground, with some preventing others from leaving as they demanded recognition for their unregistered labor union. The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) claimed that the miners stayed underground willingly as a protest, while mine officials referred to it as a "hostage" situation. The miners emerged from the mine carrying sticks and poles, and there were no signs of violence as they exited. The AMCU wants the union to be recognized, while the mine currently has a closed-shop agreement with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).