Continuing into its second day, over 2,000 workers stand firm in their occupation of a South African platinum mine, marking one of the nation’s most substantial mine protests in recent memory.
Implats (Impala Platinum Holdings), the mine’s owner, confirmed that 63 out of the initial 2,205 protesting miners surfaced overnight.
The company called the action an “illegal underground protest” and warned it will “address those employees who engage in illegal conduct and criminal acts in a decisive way”.
Operations at the mine, located northwest of Johannesburg, remain at a standstill while negotiations persist with the workers and labor unions.
According to a company spokesperson speaking to media, officials from the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) successfully engaged with workers during the previous night, initiating steps to address their grievances with the management.
“Hopefully we can respond today through the NUM and agree a process to return all workers to the surface and resolve issues in a normal constructive engagement,” he added.
“Illegal underground protests and copycat illegal actions… have become more prevalent in recent months,” Implats said.
Previous incidents include more than 100 gold miners spending nearly three days underground in Springs near Johannesburg due to rival union disputes in October. Additionally, 440 miners staged a protest in another gold mine earlier this month, while 250 platinum workers demanding improved wages occupied a shaft simultaneously for three days.
South Africa heavily relies on its mining industry, which provides employment for hundreds of thousands of individuals and serves as the primary exporter of platinum and a significant exporter of gold, diamonds, coal, and various other raw materials.
