* 15 pct of S.Africa’s miners on illegal strikes
* Truck drivers’ strike hits coal transport to ports
* Power firm worried about low coal stockpiles
By Jacqueline Cowhig and Agnieszka Flak
LONDON/JOHANNESBURG, Oct 4 (Reuters) – Wildcat strikes by
South Africa’s platinum, gold, iron ore and diamond miners could
spread to coal, potentially disrupting output from one of the
world’s biggest coal suppliers.
As many as 75,000 miners, or 15 percent of the industry’s
workforce in South Africa, are on strike, undermining already
shaky growth in Africa’s biggest economy and threatening to
spread to coal despite big differences between the sectors.
Violent clashes during a six-week stoppage at platinum
producer Lonmin resulted in the death of 46
people near the company’s Marikana mine, close to the city of
Rustenburg.
Coal majors and smaller firms said they are watching
developments closely.
“There is potential for some noise (from the workforce), the
situation should be manageable, but sometimes logic goes out of
the window,” said one executive at a mining major.
Continued…
