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No breakthrough yet in crucial mine talks

Johannesburg - The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) and major platinum producers met on Monday for more talks aimed at ending the crippling five-month miners' strike.

Monday was regarded as a crucial day for negotiations, with the government set to pull out of mediation if a deal is not agreed.

About 70 000 workers downed tools in January, demanding higher pay.

The strike has halted mines that normally account for 40% of global platinum output and has hit wider economic output in SA, pushing it into contraction in the first quarter of this year.

The spokesperson for Amcu, Jimmy Gama, told Reuters that union leaders were in talks with mining company bosses on Monday, but gave no indication as to how they were progressing.

Mining ministry spokesperson Mahlodi Muofhe said earlier on Monday that he believed Amcu and the world's top three platinum producers, Anglo American Platinum [JSE:AMS], Impala Platinum [JSE:IMP] and Lonmin [JSE:LON], would agree on a deal on Monday.

"We believe that the parties themselves are at a point where they feel that they have to get to some kind of resolution," Muofhe told SAfm.

Mining minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi said on Saturday that the government would pull out of its mediating role if the two sides could not reach a deal at the meeting on Monday.

Ramatlhodi said the government could "take them to the river, but not make them drink".

Amcu workers at mines run by Anglo American, Impala and Lonmin went on strike to demand that their basic wages be more than doubled to R12 500 a month.

The sides have previously held several rounds of talks, with the companies offering pay increases of up to 10%, which would raise the overall minimum pay package to R12 500 by July 2017, although this includes cash allowances for necessities such as housing.

The union has so far rejected the offers from the companies and those proposed by a government mediating team.
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