Johannesburg - Impala Platinum Holdings
[JSE:IMP], the world’s second-largest platinum producer, said on Monday that 5 000 workers at its Rustenburg operations downed tools on Friday over wages but a court order had declared the strike involving drill operators illegal.
“The company will follow due legal process with all employees who do not report for duty on Tuesday,” Implats said.
Implats officials could not immediately be reached for comment on
how much production had been lost. Union officials were also not reachable.
Last year, Implats sealed a two-year wage deal with the National
Union of Mineworkers and it was not immediately clear which union the striking
workers were affiliated with.
On Sunday state media reported that workers at Zimplats, the
Zimbabwe unit of Implats, had gone on strike to force the company to pay their
personal electricity bills.
Implats shares were down 1.24%, the sixth-biggest decliners
on the Johannesburg bourse’s Top 40 - (Tradeable)
[JSE:J200] benchmark index.