The mining industry in South Africa saw its fourth underground protest in less than two months on Monday, spearheaded by over 2,200 miners employed in platinum mines.
The owners of the Bafokeng Rasimone mine, northwest of Johannesburg, have declared a “illegal underground protest” the reason for the suspension of operations in two of its shafts.
2,205 miners have joined the protest, according to Impala Platinum Holdings, often known as Implats, one of the top producers of platinum worldwide.
The corporation issued a statement stating that it was “closely monitoring” the protest and that the reasons behind it were “yet to be determined”.
Implats stated that it has “proactively suspended mining operations in both shafts and recalled all employees from underground work areas” .
The message added that the authorities have been notified to “protect” miners underground.
The business issued a warning, stating that it will “deal decisively with employees who engage in illegal conduct and criminal acts”.
An increasing number of miners in South Africa are going on wildcat strikes, taking over mines and halting operations.
“Underground protests and similar illegal actions (…) have become more frequent in recent months and are causing concern and disruption to the mining industry as a whole”, Implats lamented.
In October, a conflict between competing unions resulted in over 100 gold miners in Springs, near Johannesburg, spending over three days underground. In an attempt to demand higher pay, 250 employees at a platinum mine simultaneously held a shaft for three days, joining 440 other participants in a similar action at another gold mine this month.
In South Africa, which is the world’s top exporter of platinum and a significant exporter of gold, diamonds, coal, and other raw resources, the mining sector employs hundreds of thousands of people.
