Monday 1 October 2012

Mining Strikes Drop Gold Production, Stunting Supply While Demand Increases

September 27, 2012 GoldCore update from Mark OByrne:

In South Africa, gold mine strikes ceased nearly 39% of production, at AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. (ANG) and Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI), as labour walkouts spread across the country amid demands for above-inflation pay increases.


Today, AngloGold, the world’s 3rd largest gold producer, said all of its South African mines have been stopped. Gold Fields lost nearly 32,000 ounces, or metric ton, of output because of strikes at its KDC and Beatrix sites. The Kopanang mine was shut down after a strike last week that began with 5,000 workers, and AngloGold decided to halt all South African operations as most of its 35,000 employees have joined the industrial action.

In addition to the mining strike there is also a transport strike.  More than 20,000 freight transport workers are also on strike, demanding a wage increase of 12%, reports the South African Press Association.  Unions rejected an offer of a staggered increase of 8.5% next March followed by an additional 0.5% in September, SAPA said.

The Lonmin Plc’s Marikana platinum mine northwest of Johannesburg endured a six-week strike that took 46 lives and concluded last week with miners receiving pay increases of almost 22%, which is four times the country’s August inflation rate.

Read the rest of the article here, or alternatively here.

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