Rustenburg:
The world's biggest platinum producer, Anglo American Platinum, sacked 12,000 striking workers in South Africa on Friday, just hours after a miner was killed in clashes with police.
Anglo American Platinum said the miners failed to appear before disciplinary hearings "and have therefore been dismissed in their absence."
Around 28,000 workers have been on strike for three weeks at the firm's sprawling mines in Rustenburg, in the north of the country, demanding better pay and conditions.
The company said the strike had so far cost USD 80 million in lost revenue.
In a bid to halt further losses, Amplats on Monday warned wildcat strikers that they would be sacked if they failed to attend hearings.
Today, it made good on that threat.
"Despite the company's repeated calls for employees to return to work, we have continued to experience attendance levels of less than 20 per cent," the firm said in a statement.
The standoff has intensified this week, with at least six people killed as miners showed no sign of dropping their demands for higher pay.
Late on Thursday, one miner was killed when police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse a group of 300 illegal strikers protesting on a hilltop close to the mines.
The independent police watchdog is investigating the man's death "as the incident appeared to have arisen from police action," according to police spokeswoman Emelda Setlhako.
"The crowd began stoning the police who then had to use stun grenades, rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse them," spokesman Setlhako said in a statement.
The victim has not been officially identified, but colleagues told AFP the man, in his late 40s, was from the rural Eastern Cape province and had been a rock drill operator at the Bleskop shaft, one of several at the sprawling complex.
Today police cordoned off the hill with red tape as investigators examined the scene, while strikers barricaded roads close by with tyres and rocks.
"The situation is tense," said local police spokesman Thulani Ngubane.
It is not the first time South Africa has seen a mass sacking during a wage dispute.
In February, Amplats' rival Impala Platinum fired 17,000 workers, only to rehire them a few weeks later as part of a wage agreement.
Anglo American Platinum said the miners failed to appear before disciplinary hearings "and have therefore been dismissed in their absence."
Around 28,000 workers have been on strike for three weeks at the firm's sprawling mines in Rustenburg, in the north of the country, demanding better pay and conditions.
The company said the strike had so far cost USD 80 million in lost revenue.
In a bid to halt further losses, Amplats on Monday warned wildcat strikers that they would be sacked if they failed to attend hearings.
Today, it made good on that threat.
"Despite the company's repeated calls for employees to return to work, we have continued to experience attendance levels of less than 20 per cent," the firm said in a statement.
The standoff has intensified this week, with at least six people killed as miners showed no sign of dropping their demands for higher pay.
Late on Thursday, one miner was killed when police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse a group of 300 illegal strikers protesting on a hilltop close to the mines.
The independent police watchdog is investigating the man's death "as the incident appeared to have arisen from police action," according to police spokeswoman Emelda Setlhako.
"The crowd began stoning the police who then had to use stun grenades, rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse them," spokesman Setlhako said in a statement.
The victim has not been officially identified, but colleagues told AFP the man, in his late 40s, was from the rural Eastern Cape province and had been a rock drill operator at the Bleskop shaft, one of several at the sprawling complex.
Today police cordoned off the hill with red tape as investigators examined the scene, while strikers barricaded roads close by with tyres and rocks.
"The situation is tense," said local police spokesman Thulani Ngubane.
It is not the first time South Africa has seen a mass sacking during a wage dispute.
In February, Amplats' rival Impala Platinum fired 17,000 workers, only to rehire them a few weeks later as part of a wage agreement.
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