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Cape Town - Illegal strikes have spread to three more mines run by world No 1 platinum producer Anglo Platinum [JSE:AMS], a trade union said on Thursday, in the latest round of wildcat action to hit the country’s mining sector.
“They went on strike at these mines last night and at the smelter our members have been threatened and told if they come to work, their cars will be torched,” Franz Stehring, a divisional manager with the trade union Uasa, told Reuters.
Two of those mines are the Tumela and Dishaba mines in Limpopo Province. Workers downed tools on Wednesday night at Tumela, demanding a basic monthly salary of R12 500 as well as other benefits.
Fin24 received the news first-hand from a user who is an Amplats employee. He said that the workers at the mine - previously called Amandebult mine and situated near the R510 between Northam and Thabazimbi - had embarked on illegal industrial action.
On Friday, the strike had spread to the nearby Dishaba mine.
In addition to the basic salary, workers are demanding a risk allowance of R1 800 and a R900 daily food allowance, “because officials are getting it”.
“Tomorrow (Friday) we are going to hand over the memorandum to management”, said the Amplats employee, who asked not to be named for fear of victimisation.
The Fin24 user said when he and colleagues arrived at the mine on Thursday morning, the gates to the shafts where locked and night shift workers were chanting struggle songs.
Later in the day they marched to the concentrator, forcing workers there to join the strike. “Five shafts are now at a standstill.”
He said all employees except officials are on strike.
Amplats was not immediately available for comment.
Tumela workers gather outside the mine on Friday morning. (Pic: Fin24 user)
“They went on strike at these mines last night and at the smelter our members have been threatened and told if they come to work, their cars will be torched,” Franz Stehring, a divisional manager with the trade union Uasa, told Reuters.
Two of those mines are the Tumela and Dishaba mines in Limpopo Province. Workers downed tools on Wednesday night at Tumela, demanding a basic monthly salary of R12 500 as well as other benefits.
Fin24 received the news first-hand from a user who is an Amplats employee. He said that the workers at the mine - previously called Amandebult mine and situated near the R510 between Northam and Thabazimbi - had embarked on illegal industrial action.
On Friday, the strike had spread to the nearby Dishaba mine.
In addition to the basic salary, workers are demanding a risk allowance of R1 800 and a R900 daily food allowance, “because officials are getting it”.
“Tomorrow (Friday) we are going to hand over the memorandum to management”, said the Amplats employee, who asked not to be named for fear of victimisation.
The Fin24 user said when he and colleagues arrived at the mine on Thursday morning, the gates to the shafts where locked and night shift workers were chanting struggle songs.
Later in the day they marched to the concentrator, forcing workers there to join the strike. “Five shafts are now at a standstill.”
He said all employees except officials are on strike.
Amplats was not immediately available for comment.
Tumela workers gather outside the mine on Friday morning. (Pic: Fin24 user)
Police stand guard outside Amplats' Tumela mine in Limpopo Province on Friday morning. (Pic: Fin24 user)
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