By Sherilee Lakmidas
JOHANNESBURG, Sept 9 (Reuters) – South African police are
braced for possible violence ahead of Monday’s back-to-work
deadline for striking workers at Lonmin’s
flagship platinum mine, where 44 people died in labour strife
last month, most of them at the hands of police.
Mineworkers have been given until Monday to report for duty
after a month of wildcat industrial action but union officials
suspected that these calls would be ignored, increasing tensions
at Lonmin’s mines.
“The situation is tense. Anything can happen at any given
moment,” police spokesman Thulani Ngubane said.
Scores of police have been camped out near the mine for more
than three weeks since a bloody clash with the striking workers
on Aug. 16. Ngubane said more could be called in should there be
any sign of trouble.
Union officials said they had heard reports that the
striking miners, many of whom are unaffiliated with any known
union, planned a march in defiance of a “peace accord” signed by
the mine management and the main National Union of Mineworkers
(NUM).
The workers have vowed to stay off the job until they get
wages of 12,500 rand ($1,500) a month, double what they now
earn.
“Our hope is that people will respect the peace accord and
return to work,” said NUM spokesman Lesiba Seshoka. “People have
indicated that they wish to return to work but the high level of
intimidation has stopped them.”
NUM represents the majority of Lonmin’s 28,000 employees but
its dominance has been questioned by the militant Association of
Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), which has been blamed
for instigating the strike in its bid for more members.
Continued…
