/ 8 May 2007

Northam strike over, says mine

The week-long strike at the Northam Platinum mine near Thabazimbi in Limpopo has been called off, the mine said on Tuesday.

The mine said the strike ended after negotiations between Northam management and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).

”Employees have been advised of the resumption of mining activities tonight [Tuesday],” the mine said in a statement.

NUM spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka said he had not been informed of the latest developments.

The workers, who are mainly members of the NUM, were striking in support of demands for the removal of the mine’s two top industrial relations officials, and the relocation of Northam chief executive Glyn Lewis from the mine to the company’s head office in Johannesburg.

During Monday’s negotiations between the mine and NUM it was agreed that the two officials would be suspended.

The mine said an independent mediation process and an audit into the mine’s industrial relations policies had been put in motion.

”The intention is for this to be followed by a relationship-building exercise between the various parties,” the mine said.

Meanwhile, the two parties did not agree on the relocation of Lewis, but Seshoko said workers believed the matter could be resolved by the mine authorities.

The mine had decided not to enforce the court interdict granted to them to end the strike by the Johannesburg High Court on Monday. — Sapa