* Gold Fields sacks 8,500 illegal strikers
* Harmony tells miners to report for work Thursday
* Harmony says strike cost it 13,000 ounces in lost
production
* AngloGold Ashanti ultimatum ends Wednesday
By Olivia Kumwenda and Sherilee Lakmidas
JOHANNESBURG, Oct 23 (Reuters) – South Africa’s Gold Fields
sacked 8,500 wildcat strikers on Tuesday after they
ignored an ultimatum to return to work or face firing,
ratcheting up pressure to break weeks of labour unrest.
South Africa is struggling to resolve violent unrest that
has poisoned industrial relations, marred its image overseas and
is spreading beyond the mining industry.
The world’s fourth-largest bullion producer – one of several
companies to throw down an ultimatum to striking miners – issued
dismissal notices to the strikers at its KDC East mine near
Johannesburg, a company spokesman said. The workers will have 24
hours to appeal.
“We have now reached a stage where we can’t hold off
anymore. Our hands were forced and we have now done it,”
spokesman Sven Lunsche said.
Continued…
