Mineworkers Down Tools Across South Africa in Comprehensive Strike

South Africa’s National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) declared a one-day strike across the entire mining industry as a protest against mounting deaths in mining operations. This is the first such strike over safety to take place in South Africa’s mining industry.

“The strike started at midnight and we plan a protest march for workers later,” said NUM Spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka. “Thousands of other workers will be engaged in protest actions throughout South Africa.”

South Africa is the world’s largest producer of gold and platinum, and almost a quarter of a million miners from all mining sectors, including gold, platinum, diamonds and coal, were expected to take part in the strike.

Platinum prices jumped on Monday due to pre-strike jitters from $1,444 / ounce to a high of $1,462, closing at $1458 in New York. It is expected that output losses resulting from the strike will affect gold producers AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields and Harmony and platinum miners Anglo Platinum and Impala Platinum, all of which have seen deaths at their mines in the recent past.

Around 200 workers have died on the job this year. According to Reuters, officials say that 199 died in mining accidents last year and 202 in 2005. 

As the strike affects all mining operations throughout the country, diamond mines are also affected, but, as De Beers Spokesperson Tom Tweedy comments, the De Beers mines will be affected to a limited extent.

On the ground this means that some miners are striking and some are not, and this is at the discretion of the miners at each mine. Tweedy notes that there have been no fatalities at diamond mines owned by De Beers in the recent past and that the company is committed to ensuring the safety of all of its mineworkers.