Members of South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) have gone on a strike in the Rustenberg mine owned by Anglo Platinum. The 55 temporary workers from SAN Labour Hire are converged in the waiting area underground and refuse to come out.
The illegal strike action was started on late Tuesday and the management is in contact with the striking employees via radio. The local union officials are assisting the negotiation process. Several attempts made to persuade the workers to come to the surface have failed.
The NUM workers are also on strike at a Northam Platinum owned mine at Zondereinde. This strike involving 8,000 company employees began on last Monday in South Africa. The dispute is over a pay rise and living out allowance.
The mine owners and workers are due to meet for negotiations as the NUM members hold out for a 15 % wage hike and a three thousand five hundred Rand living out allowance. The strike is wreaking financial havoc on the company which is incurring daily losses heavily.