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Tuesday, November 17, 2009.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Shannon de Ryhove.

Making headlines today:

Disgruntled Simmer & Jack empowerment partner Vulisango has proposed that a new Simmers board be put in place at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) of the junior gold company.

As Simmers' majority shareholder, Vulisango said that it wanted current Simmers CEO Gordon Miller and current chairperson Nigel Brunette removed, along with directors John Berry and Adrian Meyer.

Simmers confirmed that it had received a SENS notice calling on the company to convene an EGM of shareholders and that eight new directors could be appointed to the Simmers' board.

As holder of 270 million Simmers shares, Vulisango said that it had a direct interest in ensuring the long-term success and value creation of the company.

Strikers at Chile's Spence copper mine are ready to end a 35-day stoppage that has hit output if owner BHP Billiton accepts their new wage proposal.

Last week, Spence union workers threatened to invade installations and block roads to the mine, accusing BHP of delaying negotiations on a new collective contract.

Union leader Daniel Ibacache said that the workers gave the company an offer that they found very reasonable and that the company should accept.

He declined to detail the offer, but said the 560-member union was willing to lift the strike immediately if the company agreed to the new terms.

Also making headlines:

Uranium One says that uranium prices will need to firm significantly to justify the development of many of the mining projects being considered around the world.
Platinum junior Anooraq Resources will produce 270 000 ounces a year by 2014.
Gold-miner Goldcorp agrees to buy Canplats Resources for 238-million-Canadian-dollars.
And, junior coal company South African Coal Mining Holdings says that its restructuring process is continuing, but its shares are still suspended.

That's a round up of news making headlines today. For more on these and other stories please visit miningweekly.com.