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Striking South African Miners Plan March To Pretoria

Striking South African Miners Plan March To Pretoria

From AFP

The hardline South African union leading a six-week-old strike that has halted most production at top platinum mines on Monday announced plans to march on the seat of government.

The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), whose tens of thousands of members launched the strike for higher wages on January 23, plan to hand a message to President Jacob Zuma in Pretoria on Thursday.

The memorandum will also be sent to the mines and labour ministers, as well to the owners of the world’s three biggest platinum mining firms.

Details of the planned action will be revealed at a news conference on Tuesday, a union official said in an email.

The world’s three top platinum firms — Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), Impala Platinum (Implats) and Lonmin — affected by the strike claim they have collectively lost hundreds of millions of dollars.

The government has mediated stop-start wage talks between the union and mine owners over the past week, but the strike shows no sign of letting up.

The union has vowed to achieve its goal of a $1,125 (820 euro) minimum monthly wage by whatever “means necessary”.

Read more at AFP