The one-day strike organised by the Congress of Trade Unions of South Africa (Cosatu), was affecting mines in the Free State and Mpumalanga provinces, as workers downed tools in protest to rising food and energy prices.

The industrial action formed part Cosatu’s national campaign, which started with a one-day strike in three provinces last week.

Gold Fields spokesperson Daniel Thole told Mining Weekly Online that only one of its three shafts at the Beatrix mine, in the Free State, was operational as normal. The South and North shafts both had about 10% attendance. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) had applied for a one-day political protest, which started from 20:30 on Tuesday, July 15.

Thole said the night shift on Wednesday was expected to continue as usual.

Harmony Gold spokesperson Amelia Soares stated that the strike was affecting it's Free State operations, particularly the Virginia mine, "quite extensively."

The gold miner had lost two days of production, as employees downed tools on Tuesday, protesting after two mineworkers were involved in fatal accidents within five days. Harmony's other mines in the affected provinces, including the Target mine, which experienced more than 50% attendance.

Pamodzi spokesperson Bongi Radebe also said that the company’s Free State operations were affected by the strike, but that essential services were taking place. “It is better to work with the unions in these matters of national significance,” she added.

In the coal fields of Mpumalanga, Anglo American spokesperson Pranill Ramchander said that Anglo Coal had experienced “varying degrees of absenteeism” at its eight operations, but did not have a significant impact and operations continued.

Supported by the NUM, the strike was called after the National Energy regulator of South Africa allowed State-owned utility Eskom to raise electricity prices by 27,5%.

Cosatu said the strike was in response to the threat of retrenchments in the mining sector and elsewhere due to Eskom's decision to reduce electricity supply to industry.

It also argued that the tariff increase would put thousands more jobs at risk, as companies, already facing massive increases in the cost of fuel and interest rates, might try to balance their books by retrenching workers, or may be forced to close down.

The union started the strikes in KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and Eastern Cape on July 9, and planned strikes in four other provinces on July 23. A national strike is scheduled for August 6.

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