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JOHANNESBURG Oct 1 (Reuters) – World No. 3 gold bullion
producer AngloGold Ashanti warned on Monday that an
illegal strike could lead to cuts in its South African
operations earlier than expected and raised the possibility that
strikers could be sacked.
Gold mining in South Africa is generally on the decline as
resources that have been mined for decades run out. AngloGold
said 24,000 of its 35,000 workers have been on strike for a
week.
“If the current unprotected strike continues, it compounds
risks of a premature downsizing of AngloGold Ashanti’s South
African operations,” chief executive Mark Cutifani said in a
statement.
“Clearly for South Africa’s gold sector, as for many others,
there is a very clear trade-off between investing in the
sustainability of our business and employment.”
He added the company could take action, potentially
including dismissals, against striking employees.
“If we have to do something, we will. We will take those
actions if and when they are appropriate,” he said in response
to a question from a reporter.
AngloGold’s South African operations accounted for 32
percent of the group’s production in the first half of 2012 and
the company said it was losing around 32,000 ounces of
production a week due to the strike.
A wave of wildcat strikes is disrupting South Africa’s
mining sector.
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