Having just launched a class suit against Seriti Power, South32 and BHP, human rights lawyers are preparing to launch further actions against major coal miners Glencore, Exxaro Resources and Thungela Resources on behalf of workers suffering from occupational lung disease.
Represented by human rights law firm Richard Spoor Incorporated, current and former workers suffering from coal mine dust lung disease, in the form of pneumoconiosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, launched an application for a class action certification with the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
The application states it is "one of several that will be brought against South Africa's largest coal mining companies or company groups, including … Anglo Coal (which has since been de-merged into Thungela Resources), Glencore, and Exxaro".