Johannesburg - Rock drill operators at two other platinum
mines are now also demanding salary hikes, like their counterparts at the
violence-hit Lonmin mine in Rustenburg, according to a report on Wednesday.
Business Day reported that workers at Anglo Platinum's
(Amplats) Thembelani mine near Rustenburg had given management until Friday to
respond to their demands.
Rock drillers at Royal Bafokeng's BRPM mine were also
demanding a R12 500 monthly salary.
"There are indications Amcu (Association of Mineworkers
and Construction Union) might want to organise at our operations, which
management is not against - provided it is done by the rules and with the
utmost discipline," Royal Bafokeng Platinum CEO Steve Phiri told the
newspaper.
Police opened fire while trying to disperse protesting
workers gathered on a hill near the mine on Thursday, killing 34 of them and
wounding 78.
The protests were believed to be linked to rivalry between
the National Union of Mineworkers (Num) and the Association of Mineworkers and
Construction Union (Amcu) over recognition agreements at the mine. Workers also
wanted higher wages..
Rock drill operators at Lonmin said they were demanding a
R12 500 monthly salary, but Lonmin had insisted that it had not received any
formal memorandum of demand from the workers.
Lonmin told Sapa that rock drill operators earned R10 000
per month without bonuses and over R11 000 including bonuses.
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