ANGLO American Platinum (Amplats) said today it had dismissed 643 employees at Mototolo Mine in the Limpopo province following unprotected strike action which began on May 12 in defiance of a May 10 court interdict.
The impact on production has been minimal thus far, said Amplats in a statement to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. It was “… exploring options to ensure that Mototolo Mine recommences full production as soon as practically possible,” it said.
The employees were members of the General Industrial Workers Union of South Africa (GIWUSA) which had served strike notice on Amplats on May 9 following a dispute declared by GIWUSA at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.
The dispute related to union allegations that changes made to GIWUSA members’ medical scheme following the purchase of Mototolo by Amplats from Glencore in November represented “… a unilateral changes in employees’ conditions of service,” said Amplats.
Amplats had offered a medical scheme, known as Platinum Health, with similar benefits, the company said. It also said it had appealed to GIWUSA to end the unprotected strike – requests that were ignored: “… Amplats has therefore been left with no option but to dismiss about 50% of Mototolo Mine’s underground workforce,” it said.
Dismissed employees have until May 21 to appeal Amplats’ decision, said the group, adding that it was “… disappointed by the conduct of the union and its members at a time in which socio-economic pressures continue to detrimentally impact the sector and employment is so scarce”.
Amplats and rival companies, Impala Platinum and Sibanye-Stillwater, are just about to enter into wage negotiations.
