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South Africa: Labor unrest continues to disrupts mining industry
Disruptions to South Africa’s key mining sector increased as AngloGold Ashanti said Wednesday that strikers have halted all its operations in the country, which provide 32 percent of the multinational’s gold production.
Anglo American Platinum workers have been striking for weeks.
The labor unrest moved Monday to the transport sector with a major union saying 20,000 road freight employees are demanding a 12 percent pay rise.
AngloGold Ashanti spokesman Alan Fine said strikers prevented Tuesday’s night shift from starting at the company’s West Wits and Vaal River operations. They joined co-workers who downed tools at AngloGold’s Kopanang gold mine on September 20.
Hundreds of Anglo American Platinum Mine workers gathered at the Bleskop stadium near Rustenburg on Wednesday to discuss the new terms they’ve given Amplats. Workers yesterday met with mine management and said they now demand a monthly take home pay of 12,500 rand (US$1,560).
Miners leader Gad Mdoda said that the company will have seven days to respond, and the strikes will continue.
Amplats called the strikes illegal in a statement released Wednesday, and threatened disciplinary action for employees who “persist in unlawful strike action” on Thursday.
