JOHANNESBURG, July 19 (Reuters) – South Africa’s National
Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Thursday it was preparing to
strike at Nkomati, a nickel mine jointly owned by African
Rainbow Mineral’s and Russia’s Norilsk.
The largest mining union in South Africa has declared a
dispute with the mine owners over wages and NUM’s Regional
Secretary in North East, William Mabap, said it would not
hesitate to call a strike.
A three-week strike at African Rainbow Minerals’ joint
venture with Anglo American Platinum at Modikwa
Platinum mine in April cost the mine 21,000 ounces in lost
production.
This equated to 6 percent of the mine’s 350,000-ounce annual
platinum group metal production.
Nkomati mine is situated in Machadodorp in Mpumalanga and
produced 10,100 tonnes of nickel in 2011.
($1 = 8.1565 South African rand)
(Reporting by Sherilee Lakmidas)
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