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Tuesday, September 15, 2009.

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

Making headlines today:

Drilling and blasting at AngloGold Ashanti's Great Noligwa mine, in the Free State province, has been suspended, following the death of a worker.

Spokesperson Joanne Jones said that a worker had been fatally injured in a fall-of-ground incident, which occurred just after midday on Monday.

A second worker suffered minor injuries.

Tramming and cleaning operations at the mine were continuing.

The incident brought the death toll in South Africa's mines for 2009 to 119, to date. 168 mineworkers had lost their lives in South Africa's mining industry in 2008.

South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers will embark on strike action at three of DRDGold's operations at the start of night shift on Tuesday.

DRDGold said that the NUM had been granted strike certificates to protest at Blyvooruitzicht, Crown Gold Recoveries and East Rand Proprietary Mines.

The union has rejected the company's offer of a 7% increase for lowest-category employees at Blyvoor and 6,5% for the balance, a 6% across-the-board increase at Crown and a 4% across-the-board increase at ERPM.

DRDGold stated that NUM also rejected the gold price/profit linked incentive scheme, in terms of which their overall increases could rise to a total of 15%.

Sasol is disappointed at the loss of its coal BEE partner Exxaro.
South Africa will renegotiate its long-term smelter contracts.
Junior miner Goldplat is looking to buy more projects.
And, Harmony Gold and DRDGold settle their steel case with ArcelorMittal South Africa.

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