Minister undertakes to break mine strike deadlock

NEW Mineral Resources Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi has vowed to break the deadlock in the country's crippling 18-week platinum strike.

Ramatlhodi appointed a government team yesterday to try and resolve the work stoppage by the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union at the world's top platinum producers.

The team will meet the companies and union today at an undisclosed location. "We will break the deadlock. I can say there has been movement on both sides," Ramatlhodi, who was sworn in on Monday, said.

He said a political intervention was necessary after several rounds of negotiations had failed to end the strike at Anglo American Platinum, Impala Platinum and Lonmin.

The platinum wage strike has crippled 40% of global production of the precious metal and has lost producers a total of R20-billion.

Ramatlhodi's other priorities include a possible review of the country's "mining charter", which sets out a number of targets for the industry, including one that calls for 26% black ownership by this year.

"We are going to have to relook at the legislation. There might be a review of the charter," he said. – Reuters