Implats mine closed over strike

All underground work at Implats has been halted as a strike by workers disrupts platinum production. Image: South Africa Resources

Tens of thousands workers in the three leading platinum companies in South Africa have decided to stop work from Thursday (23 January), amid demands for a minimum monthly wage of US$1,150.

"We have decided to proactively stop all operations," Impala Platinum (Implats) spokesman Johan Theron told AFP.

The company will close all its mines and smelters to ensure that it mitigates the risk of intimidation and violence as far as possible.

He said: "The safety and security of our employees is our number one concern."

About two thirds of Implats workers are members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, the hard-line union which has called the work stoppage.

The company which has stepped up security measures around its operations, said was it difficult to forecast how many workers would support the strike.

The top three global platinum firms Lonmin, Implats and Anglo American Platinum issued a rare joint statement this week, attempting to persuade as many as 80,000 workers not to down tools.

They platinum mines said that the wage demands were "unaffordable and unrealistic".

Theron said Implat's planned lock-out is a legal process and would last for as long as it is required.

But if enough workers report for duty the company can always restart some areas of its mines.

Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge