Amplats workers hold rally

17 November 2012 - 17:13 By Sapa
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Image: Gallo Images/Thinkstock

Some Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) workers held a rally in Rustenburg on Saturday, the national strike committee said.

"The rally was peaceful," said Gaddafi Ndoda, spokesman for the striking mineworker committee.

The purpose of the rally was to brief workers about recent developments with regard to wage talks.

On Thursday workers at Amplats' Rustenburg and Pilanesberg north mines returned to work for induction after an eight week strike.

On Wednesday, workers agreed to a R4500 once-off payment and a pre-tax, stand-alone allowance of R600 a month, according to the National Union of Mineworkers.

Ndoda said that while the offer had been accepted, workers were hoping that renewed negotiations would bring the offer closer to their demands.

Workers initially wanted salaries of R12,500 per month.

The probable timeframe for the negotiations would be decided at a meeting on Tuesday, he said.

Amplats said it would open next year's salary negotiations early, but any agreement would only apply from July.

It fired 12,000 strikers from its Rustenburg operation, but said it would take them back on condition they arrived for work by certain dates.

Amplats lost R3.4 billion in revenue when production ground to a halt in mid-September.

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