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At a second platinum mine, Implats, 15 000-plus workers are demanding a 10 percent pay rise although they are continuing to work, spokesperson Johan Theron said.
THE MARIKANA MASSACRE
Lonmin platinum mine said just 6 percent of its 28 000 workers turned up yesterday morning at its mine in Marikana.
Mine drivers drove around looking for workers to pick up, but the buses returned to the mine empty.
In Marikana, hundreds of chanting strikers descended on one after another of the Lonmin mineshafts yesterday, carrying traditional spears and sticks.
They marched for about 10km outside the gated shafts, under the close eye of armed police in riot gear, some in armoured cars, others on foot.
As strikers approached, police and mine security escorted some of the working miners away and explosives were removed from the scene.
Protesters chased one miner, but he managed to run away and police picked him up.
MORE
The Legal Resources Centre, meanwhile, announced that it has hired forensic experts and pathologists to investigate the Marikana violence on behalf of the South African Human Rights Commission.
The commission has stepped in following local news reports alleging that some miners were shot as they tried to surrender to police; others were shot in the back
as they ran away from the police fire; and that some were run over and killed by police armoured cars.
Police and government officials have refused to comment on the allegations, saying they must await the results of a judicial commission of inquiry that is to report to President Jacob Zuma in January.
Miners told The Associated Press they are getting desperate and do not have enough money to feed their families because of the no-work, no-pay strike.
One said a loan shark is refusing to give money to any but long-time customers.
Still they said they remain resolute and will not return to work until their wage demand is met.
The miners refused to give their names to a reporter.
The National Union of Mineworkers said the Marikana strikers had gone around on Sunday night threatening anyone who went to work.
Negotiations between mine managers, several unions and representatives of strikers who do not want to be represented by any of the unions were postponed for 24 hours because the strikers’ representatives said they did not know about the meeting, said Lonmin spokesperson Sue Vey.
She said the talks would start off by working out a framework for salary negotiations and probably would last several days.
But Gideon du Plessis, general secretary of Solidarity, said the strikers’ representatives sent a message saying their position had not changed and they would not go back to work until Lonmin agrees to the salary demand. -– Fin24 – HR
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