/ 1 November 2012

Amplats workers have not accepted offer

Anglo Platinum says thousands of workers at its operations in Rustenburg have still not accepted an offer to reinstate them.
Anglo Platinum says thousands of workers at its operations in Rustenburg have still not accepted an offer to reinstate them.

"The offer was strictly subject to all striking employees returning to work and doing actual work activities by no later than Tuesday, October 30 2012," Amplats said in a statement on Thursday

"This offer, which has not yet been accepted by employees, is still open."

Last week, the platinum producer said it met with unions to facilitate the return of the 12 000 dismissed workers and those who were on an illegal strike at its Union and Amandelbult mines.

The company also offered a once off R2 000 "hardship allowance" to assist employees with financial difficulties as a result of the no-work-no-pay principle.

Amplats fired the 12 000 workers after they failed to appear for a disciplinary hearing.

They had been on a wildcat strike since September 12, demanding to be paid a minimum of R16 000 a month.

Amplats CEO Chris Griffith said: "We have been patiently appealing to our workers to get back to work so that the situation in Rustenburg and the north of Pilanesburg can go back to normal.

"We are disappointed that the offer, which was made to employees to alleviate some of the hardship as a result of the no-work no-pay principle, has not yet been accepted."

The company said it did not have sufficient staff for safe operations in the affected areas, and continued to carry out only essential services.

Amplats was losing on average 3 694 ounces of platinum production a day. To date 141 640 ounces of production had been lost, it said. – Sapa