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Labour court-facilitated talks aimed at resolving the over four-month-old wage strike in the platinum mining sector continued at an undisclosed location in Johannesburg yesterday.
Spokeswoman for the producers Charmane Russell confirmed talks were continuing.
The labour court is mediating between Lonmin, Impala Platinum, Anglo American Platinum, and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu).
Amcu took the producers to the labour court to stop them sending union members text messages regarding the companies’ latest offer.
Instead of the case being brought before the court, the parties spent last Tuesday behind closed doors, but by Friday no agreement had yet been reached.
Amcu members at Lonmin, Impala, and Amplats in Rustenburg in the North West and Northam in Limpopo downed tools on January 23 demanding a basic salary of R12,500 per month.
They rejected the companies’ offer that would bring their cash remuneration to R12,500 by July 2017.
The strike, now in its 123rd day, has cost the companies R19,6 billion in revenue and employees have lost R8,7 billion in earnings according to website platinumwagenegotiations.co.za.
The strike has been marred by violence and intimidation that has led to the death of at least five mineworkers. —Sapa.
derick.khumalo