strike action at their Rustenburg, South Africa, operations on Tuesday said the militant Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) had warned them the current wage strike, which entered its 15th week on Monday, would continue.
Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), Impala Platinum (Implats) and Lonmin Plc (Lonmin) said AMCU’s choice was depressing considering the new offer was close to meeting the union’s demand of R12,500 ($1,189) a month basic salary.
“The companies note that AMCU has also made no effort to suggest a solution to a strike which, as is well documented, is causing deep and adverse impacts on employees, their communities and the local Rustenburg economy as a whole,” the companies said in a statement.
According to South Africa’s platinum producers, they would continue taking the new offer of 10 percent, which would reach R12, 500 ($1,189) in the next couple of years, directly to the workers.
But this has not been successful because the workers that showed interest in the offer were afraid to come out into the open for fear of reprisals, the companies said.
