THE strike at Anglo American platinum mines may be over within 24 hours if strikers accept an improved wage offer. According to Amplats spokesperson Steve Calladine, mediation talks went well and Amplats tabled a significantly improved offer to the National Union of Mineworkers, which NUM representatives are taking back to their members, witH a report-back expected by the end of Wednesday. The strike began last Wednesday.
FUEL PRICES TO FALL
FUEL prices are expected to drop between 4 and 6c per litre next week, thanks to the strengthened rand and lower international fuel prices.
MALAWI BEMOANS INVESTMENT
MALAWI has attracted foreign investment worth just $200-million during the last four years, the Malawi Investment Agency said on Tuesday. The agency said the low sum had created a mere 6000 new jobs since 1994, when a major drive to attract foreign investment was launched by the then new government of President Bakili Muluzi. “This is not a good pointer for a country that has over 200000 new job-seekers entering the labour market [every year],” the agency said in a statement.
Only 500000 of the 11-million Malawians are considered gainfully employed on official criteria. Malawi’s failure to attract foreign investment is largely blamed on poor infrastructure, high transport costs, a shortage of skilled manpower and inconsistent policies on expatriate permits.
WORKERS BUY GHANA MINE
THE Ghanaian government has handed over the Prestea gold mine to a mine workers’ union in a deal worth $1,59-million, a government official said on Tuesday. Some 1200 workers of the Ghana Mineworkers Union pooled together about $1,7-million in severance pay to make the purchase. They set up a new firm called Prestea Gold Resources Limited. The mine, located some 375km north-west of Accra, was formerly owned by the South African company Barnex, which recently closed operations, saying the company was unable to make a profit.