South African Platinum Miners Return To Work

SOUTH AFRICA (LA TIMES) - After winning a 22 percent wage increase, workers ended their six-week "illegal" strike at Lonmin's Marikana platinum mine. The strike was considered illegal because workers had not submitted grievances to a conciliation body or notified officials 30 days prior to beginning. The mine shut down allegedly cost the South African government $550 million and caused the deaths of 45 people, including ten killed by angry mobs of workers.

One of the thousands of striking miners from the Lonmin
platinum mine celebrates 19 September 2012 after the workers
and management came to an agreement on a wage increase.

The strike, along with an on-going strike at Goldfields' KDC West mine, ignited strife between President Jacob Zuma and rival Julius Malema, the expelled youth leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC). In addition, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), closely aligned with the ANC, lost credibility among miners after calling for an end to the strike last month. The NUM claims the deal rewards anarchy and undermines the normal bargaining process surrounding wage rates and work conditions. Source: South African platinum miners end strike, accepting pay raise (Reliability: High)

Comments: While Malema called on all miners in South Africa to strike, no new walk-outs have taken place. Zuma, who praised the deal, is likely to benefit from siding with the miners in the up-coming December conference where he is hoping to be renewed as President of South Africa.

Lonmin signs deal at South African platinum mine

 Police try to stop striking mine workers from entering the Karee Mine 

SOUTH AFRICA (WP) --  On 6 September 2012, managers of a platinum mine where South African police killed 34 striking workers signed a peace deal with main labor unions but a breakaway union and the strikers themselves rejected the agreement. Strikers that refused to work at the Marikana mine say they only want LonminPLC to meet their demand for a monthly take-home pay of $1,560, about double what they now earn. On 5 September over 2000 protesters threatened to kill those who don’t join the month-long stoppage at the nearby Marikana mine. The Karee mineshaft, in Rustenburg, South Africa is responsible for 68 percent of production at Lonmin, the world’s third-largest platinum producer.

Source: Lonmin signs deal at South African platinum mine that leaves out striking union and miners
(Reliability: High)

Note: Since the strikes began several weeks ago neither of the mines controlled by Lonmin has produced platinum.