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Wednesday, September 2, 2009.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Jonathan Faurie.

Making headlines today:

Wage negotiations between Impala Platinum (Implats) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) had resumed on Wednesday, with both parties still deadlocked, NUM confirmed.

The company and the union started new wage talks on Tuesday, following a week long strike of more than 20 000 workers at Implats' Rustenburg operations.

The operation was said to be losing about 3 000 oz/d of platinum production, while production at the platinum-miner's Marula operation was also partially impacted on.

The strike at Rustenburg would enter its ninth day with the start of the night shift on Wednesday.

Implats was offering a 10% wage increase and a one-year wage agreement, in line with NUM's initial demands.

However, NUM had since pushed up its demand to a 14% increase, as well as additional transport and housing allowances.

Diversified Miner BHP Billiton believes long-term reforms to ease congestion at Australia's Newcastle coal port can be achieved.

A system to cut coal ship queues off Newcastle - the world's busiest coal terminal - was thrown into disarray after the BHP-backed Newcastle Coal Industry Group, and a consortium of coal producers, missed an August 31 deadline to agree on a long-term port-sharing proposal.

The last minute breakdown prompted Australia's competition regulator on Tuesday to withdraw antitrust immunity for an interim pact allowing competing coal companies to share the port's limited loading capacity - a move which could trigger a surge in vessel queues and boost demurrage costs for producers.

Also making headlines:

Pamodzi Gold liquidation deadline extended to Dec 8.

A joint venture between Xstrata and Merafe boosts ferrochrome output to 85%.

Pan African shares rise as gold junior exits exploration and focuses on mining.

And, AngloGold to raise $284m to fund Moto acquisition.

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