The Witness reported that wildcat strikes at platinum, gold, coal, diamond, chrome, anthracite and iron ore mines continued across 6 of SA’s 9 provinces. Strikes have now been reported in Gauteng, the North West, the Northern Cape, Free State, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal.

At the Somkhele anthracite mine in northern KwaZulu-Natal, management said that they are still having discussions with union leaders and workers, who are participating in an unprotected strike.

A guard was hacked to death at the mine on Tuesday, reportedly by four men not employed at the mine. An interdict declaring the strike illegal was obtained on Friday.

Mr Ellis Booi a leader of the strikers said that the Somkhele miners are demanding a take home salary of between INR 10 000 and INR 15 000 a month. They currently earn between INR 4 000 an INR 6 000. At Gold Fields’ KDC West mine in Gauteng. We will not go back to work until our demands are met. He was cheered by thousands of Gold Fields workers who had gathered at a stadium close to the West Rand mine.

In the Northern Cape, mining operations were suspended yesterday at Kumba Iron Ore’s Sishen Mine, after around 300 striking employees blocked an entrance to the open pit where mining takes place. At Petra Diamonds’ mine in Kimberley, an underground sit-in by about 65 workers has halted mining operations since Tuesday.

Source - The Witness

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