[miningmx.com] – SOUTH African’s platinum sector slid into violence last week with one employee losing his life at Anglo American Platinum’s (Amplats’) Union mine – a development that prompted the Anglo American subsidiary to call on the Association of Mineworkers & Construction Union (AMCU) to comply with picketing rules.
“We strongly urge striking employees to adhere to the picketing rules and remain within the picketing designated areas as agreed with AMCU,” said Chris Griffith, CEO of Amplats. “We condemn any act of violence, intimidation and damage to property,’ he said in a statement on February 7.
An Amplats employee died following a clash with the South African Police Services (SAPS) at Union mine where protesting employees had barricaded a road with burning tyres and rocks.
Amplats believed that the striking employee was an AMCU shop steward.
In a separate incident earlier in the week, another Amplats employee was left in a critical but stable condition after an assault in which 14 vehicles were damaged. A vehicle and an excavator were set alight, Amplats said.
The National Union of Mineworkers also called on AMCU members to bring peace to the region where a strike, now in its third week, shows no signs of resolution. AMCU is asking for a minimum wage of R12,500 per month, an increase platinum producers Amplats, Lonmin and Impala Platinum say is unaffordable.
The NUM said its members, who are attending work, were being intimidated. “We are extremely worried that our members who are trying to go to work in the platinum belt are intimidated, assaulted and their cars damaged,” it said in a statement.
“It is totally unacceptable and as the NUM we are very concerned that our member’s lives are at risk. The mining companies are not doing anything to protect the non-striking workers,” it said.
“Anglo American Platinum is also working with key local stakeholders in bringing peace and calm to the affected areas,” it said in the statement.
The price of platinum regained about $10/oz last week in the wake of violence after falling $12/oz on February 4.
