Johannesburg - South Africa's Sibanye Gold [JSE:SGL] suspended work at its Beatrix mine after nine workers were injured when a fight broke out between members of two rival unions.
The fight between members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) broke out on Thursday afternoon while Amcu officials were meeting the company's management to sign a recognition agreement, Sibanye said on Friday.
NUM has lost tens of thousands of members to Amcu in the platinum belt in a brutal turf war that erupted in 2012. NUM is struggling to hold on to its members as Amcu spreads its influence into other mining sectors like gold.
"The situation remains tense and management has decided to suspend operations at Beatrix North and South shafts while it attempts to restore calm and peacefully re-integrate the rival groups," Sibanye said in a statement.
The fight between members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) broke out on Thursday afternoon while Amcu officials were meeting the company's management to sign a recognition agreement, Sibanye said on Friday.
NUM has lost tens of thousands of members to Amcu in the platinum belt in a brutal turf war that erupted in 2012. NUM is struggling to hold on to its members as Amcu spreads its influence into other mining sectors like gold.
"The situation remains tense and management has decided to suspend operations at Beatrix North and South shafts while it attempts to restore calm and peacefully re-integrate the rival groups," Sibanye said in a statement.