Johannesburg - The world's third platinum producer Lonmin
[JSE:LON] warned Monday that a nearly four-week strike at its South African
mine was threatening 40 000 jobs, as the government moved to calm jitters in
the sector.
Government-mediated talks reopened between Lonmin and the
workers to try find a breakthrough in the illegal strike that left 44 dead at
the company's mine in Marikana where production has been shut down since August
10.
"An indefinite strike will ultimately threaten the jobs
of more than 40 000 workers," said Lonmin as it worker turnout slid
further down on Monday to 4.5% of its total workforce.
"We cannot go on indefinitely without normalising
operations and still escape the consequences of the mine not being
operational."
Meantime ministers told journalists that the government was
in control of law and order in the country even as violence broke out at a gold
mine, leaving four wounded.
The violence erupted after workers, armed with traditional
sticks and iron rods, gathered on Monday at the Gold One mine where they had
been fired during an illegal stayway in June.
And at another mine - run by Gold Fields [JSE:GFI], a strike
by 12 000 miners entered its fifth day.
"We would like to reassure all stakeholders and the
international community that mining operations continue unhindered ...
throughout the country.
"The events at Marikana is not a reflection of the
business environment in South Africa," said minister in the presidency
Collins Chabane.
Mines Minister Susan Shabangu said government was working at
preventing an outbreak of violence at Gold Fields mine.
"We are having a meeting as part of a process on how
best we are going to address the situation without allowing a further
occurrence," Shabangu told journalists.
"We are indeed concerned with what is going on in the
gold sector."
She said government was looking at how to handle workers
grievances in the mining sector instead of the piecemeal approach applied so
far.
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