WESTONARIA, South Africa, Sept 4 (Reuters) – A strike for higher pay hit production at most of South Africa’s gold mines on Wednesday, but the main union behind the stoppage said it was willing to relax some of its demands.
The stoppage, called by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), began at the evening shift on Tuesday, with many miners refusing to go underground.
Producers grouped in the Chamber of Mines said output at 16 of the 23 mines currently involved in talks was partially or severely affected on Wednesday morning. The operators of the mines include South Africa’s main producers AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields, Harmony Gold and Sibanye Gold.
“The majority of Harmony’s operations have been severely affected, although all essential services personnel are at work,” the company said in a statement.
However, the NUM, which represents two thirds of the country’s gold mine workers, has already opened the prospect of a compromise, saying it was prepared to lower its pay increase demands for some specific employee categories.