NUM says the strike 'the result of a combination of factors and not necessarily due to a wage dispute'

An unprotected strike at Samancor was continuing on Tuesday, the company said.

“The company can confirm the strike is still under way and it is unprotected,” spokeswoman Sunel Pretorius said. “Nothing has changed since yesterday.”

On Monday, Samancor said its production had been affected.

“The company is currently engaging with its recognised unions in order to resolve the situation and to get the employees back to work,” read a statement.

Workers wanted a monthly pay of R12,500 after deductions, a R1500 sleep-out allowance, and a R1500 underground allowance.

Monday’s wildcat strike followed the end of a sit-in protest by about 400 workers at the mine on Friday.

Samancor said the sit-in had been organised by individuals and not by a union.

The company said current wage negotiations were finalised with unions on Friday.

National Union of Mineworkers spokesman Lesiba Seshoka said the dispute, like many wildcat strikes hitting the mining sector, was the result of a combination of factors and not necessarily due to a wage dispute.

He said many of those involved in the strikes were unemployed or were “people involved in politics”.

“So how can we then conclude that it is because people are unsatisfied with a signed wage deal?” Seshoka asked.