http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/10/2012105133627335389.html
Officials at the Anglo American Platinum mine in South Africa have announced that they will dismiss 12,000 out of 21,000 striking miners they say are engaging in an "illegal strike".
The world's largest platinum producer said on Friday the 12,000 dismissed workers failed to turn up to disciplinary hearings which began on Tuesday.
They will have three working days to appeal.
Anglo American, located in North West province, had been threatening the strikers with dismissal for a week now via text messages to its workers.
The sackings were the first such actions by all of the mines where illegal strikes have taken place.
The announcement came on a day a branch leader of the nation's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) was shot dead near a mine run by fellow platinum producer Lonmin in nearby Marikana.
Neither police nor mine owners commented on the claim.
Lesiba Seshoka, NUM spokesman, told Al Jazeera that he did not know why the branch leader was shot, but that the killing was part of a "growing trend" of violence against workers.
"We are appealing to the law enforcement agencies of South Africa to do a thorough investigation as to who is behind all these killings," he said.
Earlier on Friday, the body of a mine worker was found near the Anglo American mine, according to a strike leader.
Miners determined
Al Jazeera's Tania Page, reporting from Rustenberg, said the miners she spoke to reiterated that the sackings would not deter their protests.
"They were so determined to get this money that they were never going to back down from a big pay raise," she said.
The striking miners are seeking a raise from what they say is a salary of $500 per month to $2,000.
and....
http://www.fin24.com/Companies/Industrial/Strike-spills-over-to-General-Motors-20121005
| Platinum mine sacks 12,000 in South Africa |
World's top producer of metal says workers failed to show up to disciplinary hearings and have three days to appeal.
Last Modified: 05 Oct 2012 22:00
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Police have used force to disperse striking mine workers in Rustenberg in recent weeks [GALLO/GETTY]
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Officials at the Anglo American Platinum mine in South Africa have announced that they will dismiss 12,000 out of 21,000 striking miners they say are engaging in an "illegal strike".
The world's largest platinum producer said on Friday the 12,000 dismissed workers failed to turn up to disciplinary hearings which began on Tuesday.
They will have three working days to appeal.
| IN DEPTH |
Al Jazeera's in-depth coverage of the mining protests in Marikana and elsewhere in South Africa:
 Feature: Sordid tale behind mine strife Feature: Will Marikana resurrect Julius Malema? Opinion: Politics of law and order in post-Apartheid SA Q&A: Marikana strikes |
The sackings were the first such actions by all of the mines where illegal strikes have taken place.
The announcement came on a day a branch leader of the nation's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) was shot dead near a mine run by fellow platinum producer Lonmin in nearby Marikana.
Neither police nor mine owners commented on the claim.
Lesiba Seshoka, NUM spokesman, told Al Jazeera that he did not know why the branch leader was shot, but that the killing was part of a "growing trend" of violence against workers.
"We are appealing to the law enforcement agencies of South Africa to do a thorough investigation as to who is behind all these killings," he said.
Earlier on Friday, the body of a mine worker was found near the Anglo American mine, according to a strike leader.
Miners determined
Al Jazeera's Tania Page, reporting from Rustenberg, said the miners she spoke to reiterated that the sackings would not deter their protests.
"They were so determined to get this money that they were never going to back down from a big pay raise," she said.
The striking miners are seeking a raise from what they say is a salary of $500 per month to $2,000.
| Police backed by armoured vehicles and a helicopter dispersed the striking miners as they attempted to gather on a hillsideclose to their informal settlement in Rustenburg after a night of clashes with authorities. The demonstrations have now spread to seven of the nation's nine provinces. Over 75,000 South African miners workers, who amount for 15 per cent of the nation's work force, are on strike. The walkouts began four weeks ago when 15,000 miners walked off the job at the world's fourth largest gold producer, Gold Fields. In August, police shot and killed 46 workers at the Lonmin mine. The strikes then spread to coal, diamond, chrome and iron mines. For two weeks now, 20,000 lorry drivers have also gone on strike, leaving several petrol stations without fuel and automated teller machines without cash. The drivers have called on their colleagues in South Africa's ports to join in their protest starting next week. |
and....
http://www.fin24.com/Companies/Industrial/Strike-spills-over-to-General-Motors-20121005
Strike spills over to General Motors
Johannesburg - The transport workers strike in South Africa has affected production at General Motors' manufacturing plant in Port Elizabeth, the company said on Friday.
"We do have a contingency plan in place which is enabling us to continue to build vehicles but not at our normal production levels," he said in a statement, adding that further disruptions were anticipated should the two-week long strike continue.
http://www.fin24.com/Companies/Mining/AngloGold-miners-demand-R18-500-salary-20121005
Fochville - Hundreds of striking mineworkers were gathering on a hilltop at the Mahalesuku informal settlement outside Fochville, North West, on Friday morning.
The workers were awaiting a mass meeting at the AngloGold Ashanti [JSE:ANG] Mponeng gold mine. They had been on strike since September 25 for better wages.
"How can we go back to work if our demands are not met?" workers' representative Rodgers Motlhabane said.
They wanted a monthly salary of R18 500.
He said their strike at Mponeng shaft one was joined by workers at Savuka mine shaft two and Tautona shaft three, all AngloGold Ashanti mines.
Strikers carried sticks and iron rods and sang. Others sat quietly under umbrellas, trying to shield themselves from the sun.
They had been meeting on the hill since September 20 as they were not allowed to hold meetings on mine premises.
Workers' representatives had had one meeting with management so far, to discuss security during the strike.
"Since (the) strike started nothing has been vandalised. We don't have to vandalise anything. We will act peacefully until the strike ends," Motlhabane said.
"The biggest thing is our wages. We feel that we are being underpaid."
Another worker's representative, Tshepo Motloi, said they had not had any contact from former ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema.
"We don't have any contact with Julius Malema. There's no influence from outside."
Several weeks ago Malema spoke to mineworkers at several mines in support of their strike, and called for a national strike by mineworkers for at least four days a month until their salaries improved.
When he tried to speak at a mine near Rustenburg police stopped him and escorted him from the North West town. He had not spoken publicly to miners since.
One of the striking workers said he wanted to buy a house, but due to the strike was now unable to do so. He had worked at Mponeng for six years and had two children, aged six and two.
"You never know what is going to happen after this," 26-year-old Johannes said.
He was concerned workers would be fired or the mine closed down.
Shell declares force majeure on Jhb fuel
2012-10-05 09:42
Shell has invoked a measure allowing it to break fuel delivery contracts with its Gauteng clients due to a two-week strike by more than 20000 truck drivers.
- Petrol chaos at SA filling stations
- No winners in truck pay fight - chamber
- Trucker strike: Union warns of escalation
Strikers torch truck, attack driver
2012-10-04 20:45
A truck driver and two other people are in hospital after they were attacked by an angry mob of striking truckers, and their truck was torched on the N12, Ekurhuleni metro police say.
Truck drivers march in Cape Town
2012-10-04 13:21
Truck drivers marched in Cape Town to hand over a memorandum to the road freight bargaining council, a union official says.
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