Table of Contents

[Link] from the Secretary General

[Link] from the Chair
[Link] to the Committee
[Link]-1:Living Conditions of Mine Workers All Over the World
- Introduction
- Historical Background
- Related Organisations & Legal Frameworks

[Link]-2:Contributors to Fatigue of Mine Workers in South African Gold and Platinum

Sector
- Introduction
- Historical Background
- Related Organisations & Legal Frameworks

[Link] Terms
[Link]

[Link] from Secretary General

Dear Participants of KFLMUN’24,

It is our honor, and our utmost pleasure, to welcome you all to our KFLMUN conference.
Whatever role you may have in this conference, we hope that all of us can put our differences
aside and work together in order to finding solutions for our globe’s problems. On the other
hand, this conference will improve us as individuals; we will develop our communication
skills, we will learn about politics, history, geography from each other; and in the end, as a
result of this dialectic, we will have a synthesis on our hands.

As you can see from basically everything going on, the future of our world does not look
good. Even though we say that hot wars are behind us, in the mean time we read the news
about massacres and genocides from all around the globe. That’s why we have to think about
all the people first, and about ourselves second. Not just because of the human tragedies, but
also because we might be next.
In this conference, we will turn our thoughts and words into actions, find ways to help those
that are less fortunate than us to improve their lives and gain new perspectives. I, as your
secretary general, am ready to help you in this mission. We will work as a team and try to
help our fellow brothers and sisters.

You, our valued delegates at the ILO, have a great responsibility. This conference will be a
great platform to discuss your productive suggestions on workers' rights, which is one of the
biggest ignored problems in today's world. The subjects of the topics we will talk about in
this conference are two of the most oppressed worker groups. I have full faith that you will
solve the problems of the working world, of which we are all a part, by considering the best
interests of all parties.

As the Executive Team are continuing preparations for KFLMUN’24, be sure to follow our
Instagram account: @kflmunconference24 and get further information on [Link]
. And if you have questions in mind, use the Contact page on our website or e-mail me via
furkanozkaan@[Link] . Feel free to ask anything, we are here for you.

Thank you for joining us in this journey, see you all in April!

Sincerely,
Fikret Furkan Özkan
Secretary General

[Link] from the Chairboard

Dear delegates,

Welcome to Kocaeli Science High School Model United Nations 2024!

As the chairboard of the ILO committee, we would like to say that it is a great honour for us
to accompany you during your MUN experience.

Labour rights is an issue which is never completely solved throughout history. Even today,
some workers are forced to work in inhumane conditions. Main mission of ILO is to ensure
social justice and equal rights for all workers around the world. Both of our agenda items are
deep topics to be discussed in our conference. Most of the mine workers are challenged with
poor living and working conditions. They face high risks of fatigue and injuries in their
working environment. In our committee, we will work on finding solutions to general
problems of mine workers and protecting their rights at all costs.

Remember that, this study guide only is here to give you basic information for the topic.
Further research is essential for better solutions. You can use the links in the bibliography
part of the study guide. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us via email.

Best wishes,
Aras Şahan/Chair
arassahan7116@[Link]
Sıla Gül/Co-Chair
silagul3003@[Link]

[Link] to the Committee

International Labour Organization (ILO) was created in 1919, as a part of the Treaty of
Versailles that ended World War 1, to reflect the belief that universal and lasting peace can be
accomplished only if it's based on social justice. In 1946, the ILO became a specialised
agency of the United Nations and has 187 member
states. The International Labour Organization is devoted
to promoting social justice and internationally
recognized human and labour rights, pursuing its
founding mission that labour peace is essential to
prosperity. Today, the ILO helps advance the creation of
decent work and the economic and working conditions
that give working people and business people a stake in
lasting peace, prosperity and progress. The International
Labour Organization has four strategic goals:
– Promote and realise standards and fundamental principles and rights at work,
– Create greater opportunities for women and men to have decent employment and income,
– Enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all,
– Strengthen tripartism and social dialogue
[Link]-1:Living Conditions of Mine Workers All Over the
World
-Introduction
-Mining Industry
Mining is the extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals, excluding oil and gas,
from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be
grown through agricultural processes, or feasibly created artificially in a laboratory or factory.

Mining exists in many countries. London is the headquarters for large mining companies such
as Anglo American, BHP and Rio Tinto. The US mining industry is also large, but it is
dominated by the extraction of coal and other nonmetal minerals, and various regulations
have worked to reduce the significance of mining in the United States. In 2007, the total
market capitalization of mining companies was reported at US$962 billion, which compares
to a total global market cap of publicly traded companies of about US$50 trillion in 2007. In
2002, Chile and Peru were reportedly the major mining countries of South America. The
mineral industry of Africa includes the mining of various minerals; it produces relatively
little of the industrial metals copper, lead, and zinc, but according to one estimate has as a per
cent of world reserves 40% of gold, 60% of cobalt, and 90% of the world's platinum group
metals. Mining in India is a significant part of that country's economy. In the developed
world, mining in Australia, with BHP founded and headquartered in the country, and mining
in Canada are particularly significant. For rare earth minerals mining, China reportedly
controlled 95% of production in 2013. While exploration and mining can be conducted by
individual entrepreneurs or small businesses, most modern-day mines are large enterprises
requiring large amounts of capital to establish.

It can be argued that what is referred to as the 'mining industry' is actually two sectors, one
specialising in exploration for new resources and the other in mining those resources. The
exploration sector is typically made up of individuals and small mineral resource companies
called "juniors", which are dependent on venture capital. The mining sector is made up of
large multinational companies that are sustained by production from their mining operations.
Various other industries such as equipment manufacture, environmental testing, and
metallurgy analysis rely on, and support, the mining industry throughout the world.

New regulations and a process of legislative reforms aim to improve the harmonisation and
stability of the mining sector in mineral-rich countries. New legislation for the mining
industry in African countries still appears to be an issue but has the potential to be solved,
when a consensus is reached on the best approach. By the beginning of the 21st century, the
booming and increasingly complex mining sector in mineral-rich countries was providing
only slight benefits to local communities, especially given the sustainability issues.
Increasing debate and influence by NGOs and local communities called for new approaches
which would also include disadvantaged communities, and work towards sustainable
development even after mine closure.
-Living Conditions
Mine workers face challenges relating to poor health and safety, including fatigue risks and
poor socioeconomic and living conditions. Mining towns maintain poor social and economic
conditions, such as poverty, bad housing and poor health. Poor living conditions are
associated with various health and safety outcomes and quality of life. These include the
spread of infectious disease or infection, owing to overcrowding or a lack of water or
sanitation, and illness and accidents. They may further have an impact on access to education,
healthy foods, health care, and recreation facilities, physical safety, crime or victimisation,
and other stressors.

There are various accommodation strategies for miners in different regions of the world.
Those strategies depend on various factors like climate, vegetation, elevation, economic
conditions of countries etc. They include decisions over the organisation of work and
workforce accommodation. These decisions involve significant commitments that affect not
only employee quality of life but also the impacts and relationships with existing local
communities.

Living conditions of mine workers are challenging, especially in undeveloped countries. In

some places they can't even reach necessities such as water, electricity, sanitation, refuse
removal and many more.
For example, in traditional mining towns in South Africa, some of the miners still can't reach
piped water in their living areas. Roads to the mines are in poor condition and accidents and
fatalities can occur.

Another big problem for miners is their financial situation. In most of the countries, miners
are working at very low wages, maybe even lower than minimum wage. They face poverty
and difficult living conditions. In many African countries, the majority of the mines are
operated by multinational mining companies. They announce enormous profits every year,
however, in some places, miners' wages are still below the living wage. Worker unions are
urging mining companies to pay all workers the minimum living wage, irrespective of
whether the workers are being hired directly by the mining company or indirectly via
subcontractors. But in areas worker unions can't reach, situations are way more challenging
for miners. In some artisanal small-scale mines (ASM), slave labour is very common.
These ASM workers often operate outside formal legal frameworks which compromises their
access to social protection, health care, education, and credit. Moreover, they are susceptible
to labour exploitation by companies who lure them with false promises of high wages and
subsequently entrap them into debt bondage or other difficult situations.

Migrant miners live in challenging conditions too. The migrant labour system was a historical
system used to reconcile the conflicting need for cheap labour in the mines and cities. Most
of the migrant miners leave their families and go to a neighbouring country to work in a mine
and look after people they left back home. Most companies see them as a potentially cheap
working force and make them work in inhumane conditions. They often live in cramped
'hostels' with their co-workers, with limited airflow. They live apart from their families for
months or years. Living and working conditions leave mineworkers vulnerable to diseases
like tuberculosis, and silicosis, compounding this, many are unable to access earned social
benefits and programmes, including pensions, access to compensation and essential
reintegration support.

The child labour situation is also worrying. More than one million children are engaged in
child labour in mines and quarries. This is a serious violation of children's rights that puts
children's health and safety at risk and deprives them of an education. In some areas, the
problem is particularly acute. ILO research indicates that, in Niger, 30-50% of the gold mine
workforce is comprised of children; most are under the age of 15, and some work under
conditions of forced labour. A 2015 study estimated that 20% of artisanal gold miners in Mali
are children. Thousands of children work in gold mining in the Western, Central, and Ashanti
Regions of Ghana. Of the 255,000 cobalt miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC), 40,000 are children, some as young as six years. ,

The health condition of miners is also a fact that affects living quality. Miners suffer from
physical and mental diseases because of poor working conditions and lack of access to health
care. Hearing loss and several lung diseases can be seen especially in miners who work in the
front line. Untreatable and fatal lung diseases due to dust exposure are very common among
underground workers. Also, studies showed that miners who were exposed to toxic elements
had much higher levels of those elements in urine and blood. Exposure-related DNA damage
can also be seen among miners. High-altitude work can affect miners' physical health too.
Miners commonly suffer from mental illnesses due to challenging working conditions, high
levels of job stress and poverty. Mental disorders can lead miners into depression and even
suicide.

Women in the mining industry is also a topic to be discussed. Within the past years, the
contribution of women in mining has increased. In large-scale mining, they are mostly in
administrative roles. On the other hand, in small-scale mining women work in almost all
stages of extraction and production, sometimes even owning concessions themselves. Datas
showed 30% of the people working in ASM are women. They are paid less than men on most
of the occasions. Moreover, any negative environmental impact of mining on clean water,
wood, fuel, forest products or agricultural land affects women more than men. Even though
women in mining communities face increased risks and vulnerabilities, they are frequently
excluded from formal community consultations. This undermines their right to actively
participate in discussions and debates about their livelihoods, concerns and aspirations,
including opportunities and challenges about decent work.
On some occasions, women have to work in heavy duties. For example in Ukraine, because
of the Russo-Ukrainian War, there is a staff shortage problem. So women work deep below
ground instead of men and complete heavy duties.
-Historical Background
The history of mining dates back to the beginning of civilization, and therefore the history of
miners. At the ancient mines, miners usually worked individually and they didn't need to live
in a specific area. But after companies took on the mining industry, mining towns and
communities formed. Miners lived in towns near their working sites with their colleagues.
Mining town models are still a commonly used accommodation strategy in Africa, but the
conditions weren't at this level before. Miners used to live in single-sex hostels in
overcrowded rooms in the 1800s. The housing and living conditions for many workers in this
industry were sub-standard, which had adverse effects on their health, productivity, and social
well-being.

Over the last 30 years, mining companies have transformed the way they organise workers'
housing arrangements. The traditional mining town model was replaced by long-distance
commuting (LDC). LDC is a regime that transports urban workers to the mines and provides
food and lodging at the work site for a fixed number of days, after which they return home.
Workers are transported from longer distances compared to mining towns. The LDC model
gained popularity among companies for two primary reasons. First, owing to technological
improvements in the mining industry, the need for highly skilled labour. However, skilled
labourers are typically hard to find in remote locations and invariably prefer to live
permanently in large cities with better infrastructure and services. LDC allows mining
companies to attract skilled workers who would not otherwise agree to move to remote
locales. Second, setting up temporary accommodations is cheaper than administrating an
entire town. Worker unions believe that LDC weakens workers' bargaining power in an
industry over which the union has historically been powerful.

Living conditions of mine workers have improved significantly almost in all terms over the
past years. Miners can access occupational healthcare easily, there are improved safety
conditions, there is better housing in mining communities and miners work for higher wages
compared to the past. But there is still room for improvement.

-Related Organisations & Legal Frameworks

Living conditions of mine workers have always been an important topic for ILO and there are
many reports and conventions about this issue. Conventions are primarily focused on
improving health and safety conditions, eliminating forced labour and preventing industrial
accidents.

-Minimum Age Convention, 1973

In this convention, member states decided that the minimum age is 18 for work which is
likely to threaten the health, safety or morals of young persons Convention also tasks all
member states to maintain an appropriate inspection service for the purpose of supervising
the application of the provisions of the Convention. This convention aims to prevent the
employment of underaged people in mines.
Resolutions of the convention comprehend the mining industry. Resolutions may be
implemented correctly in large-scale mines. However; in the ASM sub-sector, due to lack of
inspection, resolutions don't seem really effective.

-Occupational Health Services Convention, 1985

This convention covers the situation of all workers. According to resolutions, all member
states shall develop occupational health services for all workers. If occupational health
services cannot be immediately established, member states shall draw up plans for the
establishment of such services in consultation with the most representative organisations of
employers and workers, where they exist. This convention also identifies necessary functions
for occupational health services such as safety, hygiene, organising first aid and emergency
treatment etc.

These resolutions are highly important for the mining industry in which workers suffer a lot
from occupational diseases. In some places, access to professional healthcare for mine
workers can be nearly impossible. But compared to the past, miners can access healthcare
much easier in today's world.

-Safety and Health in Mines Convention, 1995

This convention urges member states to create a working environment that prevents any
fatalities, injuries or illnesses affecting mine workers. According to resolutions, members
shall formulate, carry out and periodically review a coherent policy on safety and health in
mines, particularly concerning the measures to give effect to the provisions of the
Convention. Authorities shall provide inspection, investigation for accidents, compilation and
publication of statistics on accidents. Authorities are given the power to suspend or restrict
mining activities on safety and health grounds until the condition giving rise to the
suspension or restriction has been corrected. Employers shall take all necessary measures to
eliminate or minimise the risks to safety and health in mines under their control. Miners shall
be trained by adequate training programmes at no cost to them.

This convention is one of the most comprehensive meetings for the mining industry. If the
resolutions are implemented correctly, miners will have a lower risk of injuries and fatalities
and they will be safer while working underground.

ILO also works closely with NGOs and INGOs. It organises projects with other international
organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
ILO aims to improve the radiation protection of mine workers with the help of IAEA. More
than 20 years ago the ILO sought to ensure, by adopting an international instrument, "that
persons sustaining occupational injuries caused by radiation would receive compensation".
The workers' compensation, now ratified by 32 members, includes pathological
manifestations due to X-rays, radium and other radioactive substances among the
occupational diseases for which compensation may be claimed. Also, training courses were
organised to increase the awareness of workers on radioactivity. ILO works with WHO too.
This collaboration primarily aims to improve health standards for miners and make healthcare
more accessible for them.

ILO has a strong relationship with worker unions and NGOs. NGOs are working to provide
better working and living conditions for miners. ILO is cooperating with NGOs such as the
International Organisation of Employers (IOE), Trade Union Confederation of Workers of the
Americas (CSA), European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), Democratic Organization of
African Workers' Trade Unions (DOAWTU) and many more in various areas to ensure that
miners are living in the best conditions possible.

[Link]-2:Contributors to Fatigue of Mine Workers in South

African Gold and Platinum Sector
-Introduction
Mine workers face hazards both within and outside of the workplace. Challenges with
socioeconomic and living conditions prevail in the South African mining industry and are
linked to worker health and well-being. Meanwhile, fatigue is an occupational health and
safety risk, which can result from hard physical or mental work, health and psychosocial
factors, or inadequate sleep. Increasing levels of fatigue and sleepiness are associated with
lapses in attention, errors, response slowing, fluctuations in alertness and effort, and impaired
attention, working memory, long-term memory, decision-making, and creativity. Fatigue is
also associated with adverse effects on mood and impulsive behaviours. It is a significant
concern in the mining industry as it is commonly identified as a causal or contributing factor
in many accidents and injuries. Fatigue can also lead to long-term health problems, including
digestive problems, heart disease, stress, and mental illness. Fatigue can be caused by both
work-related and non-work-related factors. Work-related causes include work schedules and
design, task requirements at work, and work environment conditions. Work scheduling
factors include the number and pattern of hours worked, time of day, shift work, and night
work. Task requirements associated with fatigue include high mental and physical demands,
especially monotonous tasks or tasks requiring sustained attention.
Mining plays a significant role in South Africa's economy (Minerals Council South Africa). It
is estimated that almost 500 000 people were directly employed, and 4.5 million dependents
were supported, in the SAMI in 2017. The platinum, gold and coal sectors employ the highest
percentages of labour in the industry, but many workers are also employed in the iron ore,
diamond, chrome, manganese, copper and other commodities. However, several factors
challenge the sustainability of the industry, including rising costs, low productivity levels,
occupational health and safety concerns, and environmental and social issues. Most South
African mining towns maintain poor social and economic conditions, such as poverty, bad
housing and infrastructure, unemployment, poor health, prostitution, and a high influx of
single migrant labourers, as a consequence of the historical practices of the SAMI. In the
colonial and apartheid eras, migrant labourers were employed in the SAMI as it required
cheap labour to maintain profitability, and African men left their families in rural parts of
South and Southern Africa to travel to mining centres and live in single-sex compounds while
working at the mines. These black workers were banned from, among other things, obtaining
skilled jobs 6 and permanently settling in mining towns. Although many mine workers still
live in mine hostels while their families reside elsewhere, predominantly in rural settings,
there has been a shift to the creation of family housing for mine workers.

The Table about lifestyle characteristics:

Health and fatigue are associated, as poor health can contribute to fatigue, while fatigue can
also contribute to poor health. These associations are discussed in turn in this section,
followed by associations between health, sleep and sleep disorders, more specifically, and
then general contributors to the health of workers. Chronic medical conditions, sleep
disorders, disturbed sleep and sleepiness also increase the risk of fatigue-related accidents,
incidents, and injuries. Physical and mental health problems affect sleep health and fatigue.
Fatigue is associated with various illnesses and serious diseases, and chronic fatigue has been
associated with prolonged medical conditions. Illnesses and diseases that can result in fatigue
include colds, flu, fever, infection, and anaemia.

The Table about health, safety and wellness:

Fatigue is a significant health and safety concern, and is considered to have an adverse effect
on every aspect of human performance. Increased fatigue levels result in reduced
performance and productivity in the workplace, and increased risk of accidents and injuries.
Fatigue contributes to accidents, injuries and death in various settings, including mining. A
mining accident is an accident that occurs during the process of mining minerals or metals.
Thousands of miners die from mining accidents each year, especially from underground coal
mining, although accidents also occur in hard rock mining. Coal mining is considered much
more hazardous than hard rock mining due to flat-lying rock strata, generally incompetent
rock, the presence of methane gas, and coal dust. Most of the deaths these days occur in
developing countries and rural parts of developed countries where safety measures are not
practised as fully. Fatigue increases the risk of incidents because it results in a lack of
alertness, poorer judgement, and slow reaction times. These incidents have been attributed to
attention failures or failure to suppress inappropriate actions. Big accidents occurred in the
past in China, South Africa and most recently Türkiye. People make more errors and find it
more difficult to concentrate and to react when fatigued. Fatigue is correlated with
neurobehavioral impairment and impairment of tests of psychomotor or cognitive
performance. Fatigue also affects a person's ability to accurately assess fitness for work.
Fatigue and work ability are also associated.
-Historical Background
The housing and living conditions for many workers in the SAMI are historically substandard
and have had adverse effects on worker health, productivity and social well-being. The
workforce was predominantly housed in high-density, single-sex mining compounds or
'hostels' from the late 1800s Mining compounds were considered inhumane and were highly
regimented; workers were restricted in terms of where they could work, where they could go,
the modes of transport they could use, and the conditions in which husbands and wives could
interact. The situation began to change in the 1970s, with the building of less militaristic
compounds, and the provision of family accommodation for mine workers; in response to
resistance from mine workers, mining companies formally abandoned the preference for
compound accommodation in 1986. Subsequently, along with political transformation and the
attainment of democracy, a new housing policy was implemented in South Africa in 1994,
which focuses on ownership for the poor. Currently, mine workers have several choices of
where to live, both in and around mining communities. Mine workers also now have more
flexibility to travel, with access to a range of transport options, including minibus taxis and
personal cars, as alternatives to trains and company buses. Available housing, in addition to
conventional compounds located near mine shafts, includes converted compounds and
married quarters, family units, villages near mines, flats rented from companies, mine
workers' own houses in new suburbs, Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP,
government-sponsored) houses, township houses, informal settlements, and backrooms.
Mining companies also commonly offer 'living-out allowances' (LOAs) to employees to
subsidise accommodation if workers do not reside in mine accommodation. However, the
LOA has had unintended negative social consequences, as it was not necessarily used
towards food and accommodation. The LOA is linked to an increase in informal settlements,
as some 7 employees live in minimal accommodation in informal settlements around the
mines, in order to save some of the LOA to send to their rural families.
Mining accidents are not new in the industry. Many accidents occurred in the past, and they
are still a huge threat to mine workers. A number of major mining accidents happened in
South Africa including the following accidents:
● 57 deaths on 12 September 1944 at Hlobane Colliery near Vryheid, Kwa-Zulu Natal
● 437 deaths on 21 January 1960 the Coalbrook mining disaster occurred at Coalbrook
North colliery. Coalbrook North Colliery was one of the underground collieries of
Clydesdale (Transvaal) Collieries Limited and was situated near Sasolburg in the
Orange Free State province
● 177 killed on 16 September 1986 at the Kinross gold mine in Evander, Mpumalanga.
● 104 deaths on 10 May 1995 at Vaal Reefs number two shaft near Orkney, in the North
West.
● 64 deaths on 12 September 1983 at Hlobane Colliery near Vryheid, Kwa-Zulu Natal
● 53 deaths on 13 May 1993 at Middelbult colliery. Middelbult Colliery was and is still
one of the underground collieries of Sasol Mining situated near the town of Secunda,
Mpumalanga.
-Related Organisations & Legal Frameworks
-The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), August 6, 2022

The national health and safety committee met on 4 August in Johannesburg to discuss the
impact of the union's health and safety campaigns and training programmes in the mining,
energy, construction, and metals industries.
The campaigns and strategies are aimed at accident prevention in the mining industries and
other workplaces that the union organises. One of the strategies discussed at the meeting is to
demand an effective labour inspectorate in the National Department of Mineral Resources
and Energy. The NUM says the labour inspectors are not consulting with the union therefore
making unilateral decisions on Section 54 notices of the Mine Health and Safety Act which
stop operations at mines for health and safety reasons. In some cases, inspections are not
done, accident reports are not issued as prescribed in the law, and the inspectors have not
been seen in some mines for long periods.

The NUM strategies empower and strengthen the capacity of occupational health and safety
and trade union committees at workplaces to play essential roles in reporting accidents and
emphasising on the right to stop dangerous work. Further, the union wants the government,
and mining companies to provide more labour inspection services.

The provision of suitable personal protective equipment for women miners continues to be an
outstanding issue. Additionally, the union says heat stress management is being used as an
excuse to retrench some women miners and wants this unfair labour practice to be stopped.

-JOHANNESBURG, March 24, 2014

In a move to tackle century-old tuberculosis (TB) scourge among mineworkers, the
governments of Lesotho, Mozambique, South Africa, and Swaziland will meet with the
mining industry, union representatives, development partners and other stakeholders, at a
Ministerial Meeting on March 25, 2014, in Johannesburg, South Africa, to discuss a
standardised approach to the management of TB in the mining industry across all four
countries.
This meeting is an important step in the development of a truly regional approach to this
disease – which affects cross-border migrant workers disproportionately and cannot be
tackled by any country alone. About half a million mineworkers in South Africa and about
two million ex-mineworkers spread across the four countries are at high risk of TB in a sector
that has a net asset value of $1.8 trillion, with mineral exports accounting for nearly 9% of
South Africa's GDP.
ACTSA [Action for Southern Africa] demands that the mining companies that profited from
South Africa's gold urgently provide proper medical screening, decent financial
compensation and healthcare, and adequate support for all ex-miners and current
mineworkers suffering from silicosis and tuberculosis.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is a mainly mining industry-related trade union,
an organisation of workers with common goals through organised labour, in South Africa.
With a membership of 300,000 as of 2014, it is the largest affiliate of the Congress of South
African Trade Unions.

-Southern Africa Miners Association (SAMA)

SAMA to be a powerful regional voice linking national associations to address the political,
and socio-economic welfare of ex-miners and their families. Some of their purposes: To
create a database for research, communication and documentation of ex-miners, widows and
orphan children, to advocate and lobby for full participation and decision-making in regional
and international mineworkers organisations, including the International Labor Organization,
to advocate to African Governments to protect the basic human rights all of former miners,
including the right to occupational health care and insurance cover of death.

[Link] Terms
Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM): A largely informal economic sector that includes
workers around the world who use basic tools to extract from the earth everything from gold
and gemstones to vital metals such as cobalt, tin, tungsten and tantalum.
Venture Capital: A form of private equity and a type of financing for startup companies and
small businesses with long-term growth potential.
NGO: Organisations that generally are formed independent from the government. They are
typically nonprofit entities and many of them are active in humanitarianism or the social
sciences; they can also include clubs and associations that provide services to their members
and others.
INGO: An organisation which is independent of government involvement and extends the
concept of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) to an international scope.
GDP: Gross Domestic Product
Fatigue: State of tiredness or exhaustion. In general usage, it often follows prolonged
physical or mental activity.
Subcontractor: A person or business that undertakes to perform part or all of the obligations
of another's contract.
Labour Exploitation: Also known as forced labour, is the abuse of people in the workplace
for profit. The abuse can be direct and brutal or much less obvious.
Mining Towns/Communities: A community that houses miners. They are usually created
around a mine or a quarry.
Long Distance Commuting (LDC): The mobility of workers who have their work and home
residence in distant geographical areas, is originally a mechanism widely used in extractive
industries such as mining or hydrocarbons.
SAMI: South African Mining Industry
Bargaining Power: The relative ability of parties or persons in an argumentative situation
(such as bargaining, contract writing, or making an agreement) to exert influence over each
other in order to achieve favourable terms in an agreement.
Apartheid: A system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa from
1948 to the early 1990s. It dictated that non-white South Africans (a majority of the
population) were required to live in separate areas from whites and use separate public
facilities.
Prolonged Medical Condition: Also known as chronic disease. An illness that cannot be
cured.
Neurobehavioral Impairment: Behavioural impairments seen in association with brain disease
(e.g., stroke, multiple sclerosis, dementia, and neuro-oncological conditions), transient as
well as permanent brain impairments, and/or injury.
Living-Out Allowance (LOA): A company-funded allowance for employees who spend time
away from home while working. They are usually tax-free and provide payment for meals,
daily needs, housing accommodations and travel expenses.

[Link]
-Mining - Wikipedia

-Quality of life and influencing factors of coal miners in Xuzhou, China - PMC

-Defining the Primary Work Stress Factors of Chinese Coal Miners—A Mixed-Methods
Study - PMC

-Workers at DRC’s industrial cobalt mines pushed further into poverty - RAID

-Sustainability of artisanal mining of cobalt in DR Congo - PMC

-(PDF) Mine Accommodation Strategies — Case Studies in Developing Countries

-An intervention-focused review of modern slave labor in Brazil’s mining sector -

ScienceDirect
-Working and Living Conditions of Workers in the Mining Sector in Zambia By Grayson
Koyi - [Link]

-Living conditions of mine workers from eight mines in South Africa

-The DRC Mining Industry: Child Labor and Formalization of Small-Scale Mining | Wilson
Center

-Extreme apartheid: the South African system of migrant labour and its hostels

-International Migrant Workers in the Mining Sector

-Migrant mineworkers advocating for decent work - European Commission

-Full article: Living conditions of mine workers from eight mines in South Africa

-C161 - Occupational Health Services Convention, 1985 (No. 161)

-C176 - Safety and Health in Mines Convention, 1995 (No. 176)

-Relations with NGOs (PARTNERSHIPS)

-ILO AND ATOMIC ENERGY

-Contributors to Fatigue of Mine Workers in the South African Gold and Platinum Sector

-Tired of socio-economic stress: socio-demographic contributors to fatigue of mine workers

In South Africa

-The Haunting Legacy of South Africa’s Gold Mines - Yale E360

-Mineworker fatigue: A review of what we know and future decisions - PMC

-Contributors to Fatigue of Mine Workers in the South African Gold and Platinum Sector -
ScienceDirect

-International Migrant Workers in the Mining Sector

-Report for discussion at the Tripartite Meeting on Social and Labour Issues in Small-scale
Mines

-(PDF) From Towns to Hotels: Changes in Mining Accommodation Regimes and Their
Effects on Labour Union Strategies
-Child Labour in Mining and Global Supply [Link]

-Women in [Link]