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Johannesburg -Leaders of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) vowed to persist in a marathon strike in the platinum mining sector as an undisclosed number of union members returned to work on Wednesday.
Platinum producer Lonmin set May 14 as the deadline for employees to return to their posts.
This came after the company conducted an SMS survey, which indicated more than 60% of workers wanted to return to work.
Earlier on Wednesday, Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa told about 5 000 striking miners in Rustenburg, in the North West, that they remained on strike.
"Only an agreement could end this strike, until such time an agreement is reached, the strike continues."
Amcu members at Lonmin [JSE:LON], Anglo American Platinum [JSE:AMS] and Impala Platinum [JSE:IMP] in Rustenburg and Northam in Limpopo downed tools on January 23, demanding a basic salary of R12 500 per month.
They have rejected the company's offer of 10% that will see them earning a minimum of R12 500 by 2017.
Mathunjwa said the union had moved from an initial demand of R12 500 immediately and suggested the increase be spread over four years.
"If it was not for the arrogance of the chief executives, an agreement could have been reached," he said.
Lonmin on Wednesday declined to say how many of its employees had returned to work.
"We are not going to be providing a blow-by-blow insight of the number of people returning because that's what incites violence," spokesperson Sue Vey told Sapa.
"It is a process. People are returning to work but there has been intimidation."
The platinum producers recently resolved to approach striking mineworkers directly about their latest pay offer, in a bid to end the strike.
Amcu objected, raising fears of friction between striking mineworkers and those who wished to return to work.
Three miners and one of their wives were killed in separate incidents in Rustenburg since Sunday, prompting police to deploy reinforcements in the area.
Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said in Marikana on Wednesday: "Anarchy will not be allowed, whether disguised as industrial action or not."
More than 5 000 people had been arrested in the platinum belt in the past 20 months and he warned that police were tracking those who instigated violence there.
National police commissioner Riah Phiyega denied police were reluctant to act in the wake of Marikana shooting of August 2012, where 34 people, most of them striking mineworkers, were killed in a violent confrontation with police.
"We have acted over a period of 20 months. More than 5 000 people have been arrested for various crimes. It is not correct that the police are afraid to act," she said.
The week before the shooting of August 16 2012, 10 people, including two policemen and two security guards, were killed.
The 44 deaths are currently being by probed the Farlam Commission of Inquiry.
Phiyega said the police would remain in the Marikana area as long as the situation warranted their presence.
Spokesperson for the platinum producers Charmane Russel said the companies would oppose an urgent application by Amcu to the Labour Court seeking to interdict the companies from communicating directly with striking workers.
"Amcu leadership has repeatedly indicated that the union will act in line with the mandate given by employees. Let us hear what employees want to do," she said.
The Congress of SA Trade Unions in the North West called for tolerance and an end to intimidation in the area.
"We do not want see the other Marikana tragedy," provincial secretary Solly Phetoe said in a statement.
Trade union Solidarity asked for miners to be protected from intimidation, particularly as workers were "extremely vulnerable" once they returned home after shifts.
The strike has cost the companies over R17.8bn in revenue and workers have reportedly lost more than R7.9bn in earnings.
