Following extensive periods of labor unrest in the South African mining industry which brought the economy to a standstill, Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat) has granted the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) exclusive union rights. This development comes after heated conflict between the NUM and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), rival unions which have been fighting for domination of the platinum sector, the latter taking on a more militant approach to labor relations than the former. RBPlat and NUM acknowledged that industrial peace is necessary for the preservation of the South African economy, especially in one of its largest sectors, and that this was a main motivation behind this agreement.
See "South African miner RBPlat hands NUM exclusive union rights", Zandi Shabalala, Reuters, June 13, 2016