Johannesburg - South Africa's labour court ruled on Monday that the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), which is leading a crippling platinum sector stoppage, could not strike in the gold sector, a chamber of mines official said.
Amcu had been seeking permission to strike in gold shafts after its members were forced to accept a deal signed last year by the rival National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), which represents most of the miners in the gold industry.
"The court has said to Amcu you are bound by the 2013 agreement concluded by the chamber of mines on behalf of gold companies together with NUM," Elize Strydom, a negotiator with the chamber, told Reuters.
Amcu represents about 20% of the workforce in the gold mines, while NUM claims over 60%.
Amcu's membership is concentrated at Sibanye Gold [JSE:SGL], Harmony Gold [JSE:HAR] and AngloGold Ashanti [JSE:ANG].
Amcu had been seeking permission to strike in gold shafts after its members were forced to accept a deal signed last year by the rival National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), which represents most of the miners in the gold industry.
"The court has said to Amcu you are bound by the 2013 agreement concluded by the chamber of mines on behalf of gold companies together with NUM," Elize Strydom, a negotiator with the chamber, told Reuters.
Amcu represents about 20% of the workforce in the gold mines, while NUM claims over 60%.
Amcu's membership is concentrated at Sibanye Gold [JSE:SGL], Harmony Gold [JSE:HAR] and AngloGold Ashanti [JSE:ANG].