Thousands of miners in South Africa affected by silicosis from exposure to dust reached a breakthrough settlement worth $390 million with several mining companies on Thursday, their lawyers said.
“This is an historic settlement, resulting from years of extensive negotiations. The agreement provides meaningful compensation to all eligible workers” who worked for African Rainbow Minerals, Anglo American SA, AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields, Harmony and Sibanye-Stillwater, they said in a statement.
This is the first class action settlement of its kind in South Africa and follows three years of negotiations.
It will cover those who worked for the mining giants between March 1965 and the present day and will reportedly benefit up to 100,000 former mine workers or their dependents.
Many miners caught silicosis, which has no known cure, from inhaling silica dust while drilling rock. The dust lodges in the lungs and causes permanent scars.
Symptoms include persistent coughing and shortness of breath, and the disease regularly leads to tuberculosis and death.
The agreement must now be approved by the South Guateng High Court in Johannesburg.
“The parties believe the settlement represents a fair outcome for claimants and a sustainable outcome for the companies,” said the statement.
