Striking mine workers at Anglo Platinum hold sticks as they protest.(REUTERS)
Tags:
Anglo Platinum Mine has warned workers who are on an illegal wage strike at the company's Rustenburg operations to return to work within 24 hours or face dismissal. Workers have been on strike for the past two weeks demanding a monthly wage of R16000, which the mine says is unjustifiable.
Anglo Platinum Mine CEO Chris Griffith says they're left with no option but to take action against striking workers.
"As you would've seen this morning I'm personally appealing to workers to return to work immediately. I do so again. I urge you to come back to your jobs. If people do not stop striking and fail to come to work, we simply have no choice but to begin disciplinary action tomorrow against any employee who remains on strike. That action could lead to dismissal. I can assure you that’s not the path we want to take, but we're left with no option," said Griffith.
A visiting British socialist politician has encouraged the striking Anglo Platinum Mine workers in Rustenburg in North West.
Alec Tharves of the London-based Socialist Party
- one of the UK's smaller political parties - has told striking
workers' rally at Bleskop outside Rustenburg that the working conditions
in South Africa's mines are terrible.
Shares in Anglo American Platinum have fallen 4.4%
About 15 000 workers have vowed to intensify their illegal wage strike, despite the warning by mine management that it is about to take action against them.
Meanwhile, shares in AngloGold Ashanti and other JSE-listed gold mines have plunged by 3% since the latest strikes began.
Shares in Anglo American Platinum have fallen 4.4% after the world's top platinum producer said that strikes at its Rustenburg operation had cost it 20 000 ounces in lost production.
