Wasp calls on Xstrata workers to unite

Johannesburg - The Workers and Socialist Party (Wasp) will meet striking workers at Xstrata's chrome mine in Steelport, Limpopo, it said on Wednesday.

A party delegation would meet the workers on Thursday morning.

"Wasp stands in solidarity with the Xstrata workers and will offer its support at the workers' mass meeting," it said in a statement.

"We call on workers to unite and co-ordinate the struggles, to mobilise poor working class communities and youth and fight for the nationalisation of the mines under democratic control by workers and communities."

Xstrata said last Monday it had fired 1000 workers for participating in wildcat strikes.

Workers downed tools in May, alleging that a shift supervisor assaulted a worker. The strike started at the Helena mine in Steelpoort on Tuesday, May 28, and spread to the Magareng and Thorncliffe operations.