Platinum strike war of words

An end to the strike in the platinum sector - now in its fourth month - is still not in sight.

The biggest union has rejected the latest offer by the employers and now accuses them of using divide-and-rule tactics to end the strike.

Platinum mining companies said last week that they would make direct contact with their striking workers.

Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union president Joseph Mathunjwa called the mining companies a "platinum cabal" yesterday.

A meeting with platinum producers had been requested by Amcu but did not materialise.

Amcu had planned to formally reject the latest offer by Lonmin, Anglo American Platinum and Impala Platinum.

The rejection of the offer takes the strike to three months and 13 days today.

The three companies said yesterday that Amcu had "made no effort to suggest a solution to a strike that, as is well documented, is causing deep and adverse impacts on employees, their communities and the Rustenburg economy."

Lonmin has already taken its settlement offer direct to the workers, a move described by Mathunjwa as "divide and conquer" tactics.

The company said it had asked workers to say by Thursday, by SMS, whether they were in favour of the revised pay offer.

Lonmin spokesman Sue Vey said: "We will continue to negotiate with Amcu.

"[But] we have a moral right to let our employees know what the settlement offer is about, hence we will continue to communicate [with them] direct so that they know what the offer is and what their rights are."