Reuters reported that the National Union of Mineworkers plans to begin a strike at African Rainbow Minerals' Nkomati Nickel mine on September 5th 2011.

The trade union is striking over wages. The NUM demand a 7% shift allowance, a housing allowance, ESOPS and restructuring of what it believes are racially based salary scale.

Mr William Mabapa NUM Regional Secretary in the North East region said that "We have always said we demand equal treatment between Africans and our white counterpart and that is not coming."

Nkomati is situated in Machadosdorp in Mpumalanga next to Nelspruit and has 2,923 employees, 2,100 of which are contractors. The mine produced 9,666 tonnes of nickel in African Rainbow Minerals' in the year to end June 2010.

(Sourced from www.reuters.com)