Johannesburg - A strike over union recognition is looming at Lonmin [JSE:LON], the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) said on Thursday.
Members voted in favour of a strike in Marikana on Wednesday, national treasurer Jimmy Gama said.
"We wrote a letter requesting a meeting in a bid to avoid a strike. We requested to meet the company on Monday. If we do not have an agreement by Tuesday, we will serve the company with a 48-hour notice to go on strike."
He said the union and the company did not reach an agreement at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA).
"We referred the matter to the CCMA. The matter was not resolved and the company applied for arbitration. The company has no right to apply for abitration... it is us who referred the matter to the CCMA," he said.
Lonmin said it would comment later.
The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) called for peace and stability at the Marikana mines.
"The killing of workers should come to an end. We call on mineworkers to stand united against the enemy... exploiting [the] mining class, as opposed to mercilessly butchering each other," said spokesperson Castro Ngobese.
A National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) shop steward was shot dead and another critically wounded in Wonderkop on Monday.
On May 11, Amcu regional leader Mawethu Steven was shot dead at a tavern in Photsaneng, and on the same day twin brothers Ayanda and Andile Menzi were killed at a shack in Nkaneng, Wonderkop.
Forty-four people were killed during a unrest at Lonmin in August last year.
Police shot dead 34 striking mineworkers on August 16. Ten people, including two police officers and security guards, were killed in the preceding week.