Glen Gregory Mpufane 
Glen Mpufane is a South African National resident in Geneva, Switzerland. He works for the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) as the Global Mining and DGJOP Officer, responsible for coordinating work in the Mining and DGJOP Sector among affiliates. He is responsible for approximately 70 national mining union trade unions that are ICEM affiliates.
Background
Glen Mpufane holds a BA degree obtained at the University of South Africa (UNISA) with majors in Sociology and Communications. He is currently studying towards a post graduate degree in International Relations.
Responsibilities at ICEM
His responsibilities at ICEM include developing and maintaining a strong information and data base of general trends in global mining industry as well as in key mining countries. Preparing presentations and offering strategic advice on the mining industry is a regular task.
Health and safety issues in the mining industry due to dangerous working conditions receive a high priority. Ratification of ILO Convention 176 is particularly important. Emphasis on strengthening mining trade unions in developing and emerging economies is critical for the ICEM, since mining often comprises the largest share of FDI and exports.
Mining trade unions are often the foundation of building the broader trade union movement as well as civil society in many countries. Mr Glen Mpufane represents the ICEM in negotiations with mining employers when requested by affiliates and at times engages in direct social dialogue with multinational mining companies to improve practices and establish global framework agreements. He promotes social, economic and environmental sustainability of mining practices, and holds mining companies accountable for their actions.
Mr. Glen Mpufane also emphasizes the need for increased trade union participation and transparency in negotiating access to mining raw materials with governments and multinational companies. Mr. Glen Mpufane maintains working relationships with key NGOs seeking to improve mining and DGJOP sustainability practices throughout the supply chain.
Mr. Glen Mpufane serves as the liaison between the ICEM and ILO on matters pertaining to mining, and on the Steering Committee of the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance to improve company practices and permit independent third-party verification of these practices.
He represents the ICEM at various trade union meetings and congresses and serves as the expert on mining to various press outlets.
Work Experience
Glen Mpufane has extensive experience in the mining industry and its political economy.
His working life has been exclusively in the Mining Industry since 1980. He left school without completing his Matric, as he was expelled from High School during the student uprising in South Africa. He joined the labour market in 1980, working for Anglo American's ERGO mine, as a semi skilled labourer - a Fitter Mechanic.
In 1982, he became involved in the formation of the National Union of Mineworkers, which was to become the biggest and the most influential trade union in the evolution of the South African Mining Industry, both pre and post apartheid South Africa.
He became active as a Shop Steward for the NUM, holding various positions in the branches and the regional leadership of the NUM structures. He became the first full time Health and Safety steward in the county's mining health and safety dispensation upon the adoption of the Mine Health and Safety Act legislation in South Africa. In 2001 he joined the National Union of Mineworkers as an Officer responsible for Health, Safety and Environment.
He led the NUMs participation in the World Summit on Sustainable Development and helped ensure that the NUMs position was captured in the Civil Society Declaration that emerged at the end of the summit. The NUMs position was further included in the African Union's articles on Mining. The NUM participated in the MMSD process that led to the GRI, which has become a premier reporting tool for the mining industry.
Commenting at a symposium on health and safety in South Africa and the lack of consistent improvement in injury and fatality rates in the mining industry, Mr Mpufane had this to say," "Statistics regarding fatalities, injuries and occupational disease do not tell the entire story, they exclude the extent of human suffering associated with mining," he argued.
Mpufane believes that mine safety has to become business imperative, mainly as a function of competition for capital. "Investors do not want to be associated with industry that looks lightly on the matter of employees being killed as part of their business operations," he points out.
He adds that for this reason it is in the industries best interest to ensure that all safety requirements are met with maximum intent and that commitment to safety and health must be distributed across the whole management spectrum and operations.
Speaking at the launch of Greenpeace's report, South African Energy Sector Jobs to 2030, which presents an analysis of the energy sector job creation associated with three scenarios to 2030, Mr Mpufane had this to say about climate change, green job creation and the issue of reducing the country's energy demand ," the concept of "just transition" and social dialogue are non-negotiables for South Africa to make a transition from a coal-based economy to an economy focused on renewable technologies.
Just transition is a tool aimed at making the shift towards a sustainable society smooth and providing hope for the capacity of green job creation. An important point to remember is that many of the sustainable jobs of the future are simply today's jobs done differently,"
Glen has served on various local and international Committees which include:
- World Bank Extractive Review
- Development of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) for the Mining and Metals Sector Supplement and subsequent reviews
- United Nations Follow up International Conference on Financing for Development
- 2000 World Summit on Sustainable Development
- Global Trade Union Delegate to the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change Negotiations.
- Sustainable and Development Committee of the Minerals and Petroleum and Resources Advisory Board to the Minister under the MPRDA
- Chamber of Mines Environmental Stakeholder Committee
- Safety and Health advisory committee (SIMRAC)
Emphasis on strengthening mining trade unions in developing and emerging economies is critical for the ICEM, since mining often comprises the largest share of FDI and exports. Mining trade unions are often the foundation of building the broader trade union movement as well as civil society in many countries.
