adminwere dismissed in October, to return to the mine shafts.
But the defiant workers have spurned the gesture saying they will not go back to the underground until their demands for hefty pay increases are met.
In the latest offer, the world’s leading producer of the white metal, offered a 4 500 rand (US$516) once-off bonus and gave the workers yesterday to resume work.
“That deadline has been shifted to Wednesday,” Patrick Craven, spokesman of the leading umbrella labour movement Cosatu, told AFP. Amplats did not immediately confirm the deadline had moved. National Union of Mineworkers spokesman Lesiba Seshoka said the return-back-to-work deadline was extended following pleas from the union.
“In our view, we believe that the environment is not yet conducive for workers to go back to work,” he said.
Miners that have tried to return to work have reported cases of serious intimidation.
A local broadcaster e-NCA Sunday night showed clips of several men stripped naked and paraded before a rally of strikers, allegedly for trying to return to work.
NUM and Cosatu leadership are expected to meet with the representatives of the striking miners on Monday.
“We are trying our best to convince all the people to go back to work,” said Seshoka.
Amplats on Friday said it had put forward a once-off payment of 4 500 rand and reopened talks with unions in a bid to get its mines back to production.
The world’s biggest platinum miner fired 12 000 workers in October after failing to reach a breakthrough at its Rustenburg mines whose output has been hit since September 12 over demands for wage increases. – AFP
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