Lonmin, Amplats frustrated as platinum strike action continues

6th May 2014 08:00

South African platinum miners Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), Impala Platinum (Implats) and Lonmin have called on the trade union to stop discouraging employees from returning to work as strikes enter their 15th week.The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) told the companies on Monday that it would continue with the industrial action, which relates to wages and benefits."AMCU's decision is disappointing as the companies' efforts to develop a new offer that is affordable and sustainable was designed to come as close as possible to meeting the union's demand," the producers said in a joint statement.Amplats, Implats and Lonmin claim that AMCU has made no effort to suggest a solution to a strike which "is causing deep and adverse impacts on employees, their communities and the local Rustenburg economy as a whole".They said they have received feedback from "a large number of employees" who want to return to work but are fearful of doing so due to threats to their personal safety. Employees either at work or contemplating a return to work have received threats by faceless individuals, or by strikes leaders from AMCU meeting platforms, the companies said."The companies call on AMCU leadership to take responsibility for discouraging, threatening or other criminal behaviour directed either against their own members or against management staff seeking to persuade their members to return to work."The strike has so far cost employees of the three companies a total of R7.3bn (£410m) in lost income and the producers themselves around R16.4bn (£920m) in lost revenue. This is up from previous estimates of R6.4bn and R14.5bn at the end of April, respectively.Lonmin's shares were down 1% at 289.8p by 08:28 on Tuesday.BC