* Mining shares slide in Johannesburg
* AngloGold says illegal strike spreads
* Amplats says could start firing unlawful strikers
* ANC rebel to address Implats’ workers on Thursday
By Ed Stoddard and Sherilee Lakmidas
JOHANNESBURG, Sept 26 (Reuters) – An illegal strike spread
through AngloGold Ashanti’s South African operations on
Wednesday, while Anglo American Platinum said it could start
firing unlawful strikers on Thursday, as the country’s miners
grapple to rein in weeks of labour unrest.
A wave of wildcat action is roiling South Africa’s mines
despite the end of an illegal six-week stoppage at platinum
producer Lonmin in which 46 people were killed
and the price of the white metal was pushed higher.
Mining shares tanked in Johannesburg on Wednesday, with
Amplats losing almost 4.5 percent after it said it has
lost 20,000 ounces to the strike action since Sept 12, while
AngloGold shares shed over 3 percent.
Most of AngloGold’s 35,000 workers have joined the wildcat
action that began last week at its Kopanang mine, spokesman Alan
Fine said. The company is the world’s No.3 bullion producer and
South Africa accounted for about 32 percent of its global output
of close to 2 million ounces of gold in the first half of 2012.
Continued…
