Platinum firms say workers seek strike end

Johannesburg.- Workers striking at the South African operations of the world’s largest platinum producers want to report for duty almost nine weeks after the biggest union called a stoppage over wages, the companies say.
Anglo American Platinum Ltd. (AMS), Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. (IMP) and Lonmin Plc (LMI) are communicating with employees by text messages and through radio campaigns after talks with the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union broke down on March 5, Charmane Russell, a spokeswoman for the producers at Russell & Associates, said by phone yesterday. Employees have lost about 4,5 billion rand ($420 million) in unpaid wages, according to a website run by the companies.

“The offer is good; the problem is we want to go back to work but we are afraid to get killed,” a worker wrote in a message published to the producers’ website.