Workers Demand Full BCEA Compliance and Back Pay
Editor/Reporter – George April
HOPEFIELD:- The protected strike at the Kropz Elandsfontein phosphate mine near Hopefield, involving contractor Trollope Mining Services, is now entering its second week after starting last Monday.
Union representative Franco Papier has confirmed that members at the site are participating in a lawful secondary strike, in support of Trollope employees across the country. The action is backed by a national strike certificate and focuses on alleged violations of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA).
In a detailed community update shared with local residents, the real issues behind the strike have been clearly explained. The core problem centres on Trollope’s internal “Contops” policy – a custom system the company uses to calculate pay, overtime and allowances. According to the post, no worker or union has ever signed this policy, and employees do not even know all its rules.
Under the BCEA, workers are entitled to 1.5 times their normal rate for Saturdays and double time for Sundays.
The community message states that the Contops system replaces these legal rates with the company’s own rules – rules that the employer can change at any time without agreement. South African law only allows a company to deviate from the BCEA if the alternative actually benefits workers and is properly signed by employees or their union. That never happened here.
This is why many workers say their monthly pay fluctuates and often feels short.
A second major grievance concerns the 2022 and 2023 wage increases. While basic salary adjustments appeared on paper, these increases were never added to the overtime component inside the Contops system, nor to attendance bonuses or other benefits. As a result, workers effectively received no real increase for those two years and are now demanding full back pay.
Other long-standing disputes listed in the original union notice to Kropz management include: Unlawful deductions for sick leave (only shift workers are penalised, even with valid medical certificates);
Allowances that were never increased in line with basic salaries;
Unequal pay for equal work across different Trollope sites;
Contops allowances being treated as “discretionary” instead of contractual.
The union has formally asked Kropz for a designated picketing area on the mine property so workers can peacefully demonstrate.
Despite the strike, production at the mine continues as normal, according to local observations. This has caused concern among some residents who worry that the action is not yet affecting operations as strongly as hoped.
It is understood that senior CDMR management will visit the site tomorrow as the dispute moves into its second week.
In the community message, residents are urged to support the workers: “Come and stand with the men and women at the gate for a few minutes. This affects every household in Hopefield.” The post also highlights broader frustrations with the mine’s community liaison officer (CLO) not being a local person and questions what lasting benefit the community has received after five years of mining – citing only a “white elephant” computer centre as visible legacy.
The message ends with a strong appeal for unity: “Don’t force your child, wife or husband to cross the picket line. If we stand together now, the company will get the message and we may never need to strike again.”
Kropz and Trollope Mining Services have not yet issued public comment on the latest developments.
CCN will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available.
