South Africa – After staging a three-day underground protest over working conditions, more than 2,000 platinum miners at the Bafokeng mine near Johannesburg returned to the surface on Wednesday, Impala Platinum Holdings (Implats) confirmed.
The protest began Monday in two shafts approximately 500 meters below ground, with all 2,205 workers initially participating. Implats, also known as Implats, reported that over 160 miners surfaced during the protest due to the arduous conditions.
This marked the fourth major underground protest in South Africa’s mining industry within two months, raising concerns about labor unrest in the sector. Operations at the Bafokeng mine were completely halted during the action.
While Implats declared the protest “illegal,” the company did not disclose whether any agreements were reached with the workers. However, it hinted at potential disciplinary measures.
“Implats will be instituting required disciplinary processes and securing the sustainability of the operation amid the low metal price environment,” the company stated.
Implats further emphasized that the protest lacked union support and occurred “against a background of increasing incidents of a similar nature at other mining companies.” The company had previously warned that the protest could jeopardize jobs due to the current low platinum prices.
The South African government also expressed worry over the growing labor unrest in the mining industry, a vital sector employing hundreds of thousands of people. South Africa is the world’s top platinum exporter and a significant exporter of gold, diamonds, coal, and other raw materials.
This incident follows previous underground protests in the country. In October, over 100 gold miners spent nearly three days underground near Johannesburg as rival unions clashed for control. This month, another 440 miners staged a protest at a separate gold mine, while 250 platinum workers demanding better wages occupied a shaft for three days.
These recurring protests highlight the simmering tensions between miners and mining companies amidst challenging economic conditions, raising concerns about the future of the vital South African mining industry.
