JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Some 800 workers have downed tools at Glencore Xstrata’s Helena, Magareng and Thorncliffe chrome mines, in Limpopo, a company spokesperson said on Thursday.
The illegal strike began at the Helena mine on Tuesday, but had since spread to the other two operations, amid allegations of assault of a worker by a shift supervisor, Christopher Tsatsawane told Mining Weekly Online.
Tsatsawane said that workers had embarked on the strike despite an ongoing investigation by the company into the incident.
“As far as we are aware, the allegation of assault is the workers’ only grievance,” he commented, adding that the striking workers were members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, and that engagement with the union was under way.
The company had already dismissed 200 workers from its Helena mine, after three ultimatums to return to work or be dismissed, were ignored.
Glencore Xstrata said it would now issue the same ultimatum to workers at Magareng and Thorncliffe.
No violence had thus far been reported.