JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Johannesburg- and Toronto-listed junior Atlatsa Resources has fired 1 518 of its workers at the Bokoni mine, in South Africa, as only 643 of the 2 161 striking employees dismissed last week returned to work by the Monday deadline.

“All employees who failed to return to work yesterday are dismissed with effect from October 6,” the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

Atlatsa also said dismissed employees burnt mine vehicles at Bokoni’s Brakfontein shaft premises. The South African Police Service presence at the mine had been increased, while arrests have been made and criminal charges have been laid.

The company added that only essential services continued at Bokoni, as the situation remained volatile and the dismissed employees continued to threaten an increase in their acts of violence, intimidation and damage to property.

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