Strikes are set to take place at the world’s biggest platinum mines on Thursday following stalled wage increase negotiations.
Trade union Solidarity said its 1 200 members were scheduled to down tools at Anglo Platinum (Amplats) mines in the North West and Limpopo provinces at 2pm.
At Impala Platinum (Implats) in the North West, strike action looks set to continue after management offered an increase on Tuesday that did not include lower level underground workers, said National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) spokesperson Archie Palane.
Implats spokesperson Humphrey Oliphant confirmed that the company had put a 7,5% offer on the table, but there was still haggling over the package for certain underground workers.
Amplats warned Solidarity on Thursday that its 48-hour notice to strike did not comply with strike rules, and if certain changes were not made by the time the strike started, it would be ”unprotected”.
However Solidarity spokesperson Reint Dykema accused Amplats of using delaying tactics, saying their strike notice entitled them to down tools from noon already, and the union was seeking legal advice on the issue of compliance.
NUM is scheduled to have feedback from its members on Thursday morning whether offers made by Amplats would lead to a strike.
”If NUM and other unions come in, it could be 20 000 [striking miners],” said Dykema.
Palane said it was likely that the strike at Implats which started on Wednesday would continue on Thursday.
He said management’s wage increase offer ”did not enable us to call off the strike”.
Oliphant said Implats could not meet the NUM on Thursday because the union was meeting Amplats in the morning, and then attending a memorial service in the afternoon.
Amplats was offering Solidarity members a seven percent increase, while Solidarity wanted eight percent, the union said.
Dykema said if the strike at both mining companies went ahead, it would involve about 42 000 workers.
”It seems likely that platinum production may decline countrywide, since strikes are also threatening at Impala Platinum,” he said.
”These two companies together produce approximately four million of the six million ounces of platinum sold worldwide annually.” – Sapa