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Article

3 May 2018

Author:
Felix Njini, Jef Feeley, Bloomberg (USA)

South African Gold Producers Reach Lung-Disease Settlement

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Anglo American Plc, Harmony Gold Mining Co. Ltd. and other mining companies agreed to resolve a lawsuit filed by workers who said they contracted deadly lung diseases in South African gold mines in the country’s largest class-action settlement deal.  The agreement provides for compensation for all eligible workers suffering from silicosis or tuberculosis who worked in the companies’ mines at any point since March 1965, the parties said in a statement...The six producers, which also include AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. and Gold Fields Ltd., last year set aside about 5 billion rand ($390 million) to settle the lawsuit.  The settlement will be submitted to South Africa’s South Gauteng High Court for ratification...There is no limit on the number of potential claimants, the parties said in a statement.  The agreement was reached following three years of negotiations and is the first class-action settlement of its kind in South Africa...The mining companies were represented by the Occupational Lung Disease Working Group, while Richard Spoor Inc, Abrahams Kiewitz Inc., Motley Rice, Hausfeld LLP and the Legal Resources Centre represented the class members...Under the deal, the companies will set up a trust to fund silicosis-treatment programs in South Africa and other countries where miners migrated from, including Mozambique, Botswana and Zimbabwe, according to a statement.  Ten classes of miners are eligible for medical assessment and treatment...Families of miners who died also are eligible for compensation, under the settlement...

Part of the following timelines

So. Africa: Gold producers reach $400 mln. settlement with mine workers in silicosis lawsuit

Gold miner silicosis litigation (re So. Africa)