THE Association of Mineworkers & Construction Union’s (AMCU’s) proposed seven-day secondary strike did not kick off today (February 28) after the South African Labour Court suspended it, pending judgement regarding interdicts brought by affected companies.
Lonmin said in an announcement today that it was one of the companies that sought an interdict from the court against AMCU. The judgement on the interdicts is pending, it said. Operations were continuing as normal.
AMCU is hoping that by bringing its members at other mines out on strike it will heap pressure on Sibanye-Stillwater to bow to its gold industry wage demands. Impala Platinum, Anglo American Platinum and AngloGold Ashanti are among those affected.
The union has been on strike at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold mines since mid-November after it was the only union to reject a three-year deal to which it helped negotiate.
Sibanye-Stillwater has since raised the prospect that it could restructure Driefontein and Beatrix, two gold mines, in a development that would affect up to 6,700 jobs.
