Over 2,000 miners in South Africa gathered for a protest underground on Monday. Operations in two platinum mines at Bafokeng Rasimone, northwest of Johannesburg, had to be suspended.
The owners Impala Platinum Holdings call the strike an “illegal underground protest” and at the same time state that the strike had brought together 2,205 miners. According to the owners, the reason for the protest “is not known, and the company states that it is “closely following” developments and threatens reprisals for those who participate.
The number of illegal strikes in the mining industry has increased in recent months. About 100 gold miners walked off the job in October in Springs near Johannesburg. At the time, the dispute was about a dispute between two rival unions. More than 400 miners went on strike earlier this month at a gold mine, while more than 200 at a platinum mine went on strike for three days demanding higher wages.