JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -
Strikers at Lonmin's Marikana mine in South Africa have cut their basic
wage demand to below 11,000 rand a month to try to end a six-week strike
that halted platinum output at the world's third-largest producer, a
negotiator said on Tuesday.
The demand is still way above the offer on the table from Lonmin.
The company, which is offering increases of between 9 and 21
percent, has said 12,500 rand would put thousands of jobs at risk and
challenge the viability of the business. Basic pay for most underground
workers is currently around 5,400 rand.
A Lonmin official said talks between the various parties had
extended to 3 a.m. (0100 GMT) on Tuesday. They are due to resume at 1000
GMT.
"The demands came down to below 11,000 rand," Bishop Jo Seoka,
who has been mediating in the talks between Lonmin and workers, told
Reuters. "I'm very confident that something is going to happen today."
The strike turned violent last month, culminating in police
shooting 34 miners at a rocky outcrop at Marikana, 100 km (60 miles)
northwest of Johannesburg. In all, 45 people have died in the Marikana
unrest, which has spread beyond Lonmin to other platinum firms and other
parts of the mining sector.
Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), the world's top producer of
the precious metal, said workers started trickling back to its
Rustenburg mines on Tuesday after operations were suspended last week
when machete-wielding strikers marched on shafts.
More details on shift worker attendance will be provided later on Tuesday.
South Africa is home to 80 percent of known reserves of platinum
and is a major gold producer. Labour unrest this year has cost the
industry 4.5 billion rand in lost output, President Jacob Zuma said on
Monday.
Fearing the strike's growing impact on the economy and South
Africa's investment reputation, the government launched a crackdown at
the weekend that has included deploying members of the armed forces.
-Reuters