IMP
IMPO
IMP - Impala Platinum Holdings Limited - Union rivalry at Impala Rustenburg
Impala Platinum Holdings Limited
(Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa)
(Registration No. 1957/001979/06)
ISIN: ZAE000083648
JSE Share Code: IMP
LSE Share Code: IPLA
ADR Code: IMPUY
("Implats")
UNION RIVALRY AT IMPALA RUSTENBURG
Implats reported last week that during a clash between members of the National
Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction
Union (AMCU) a company employee was shot and wounded. Following this incident
and violence earlier in the year, the SA Police Services have arrested two
alleged perpetrators. This action has resulted in the majority of the mining
workforce embarking on an unprotected work stoppage in support of their
colleagues and a refusal to return to work until they have been released. The
striking workers are preventing employees who wish to work from doing so.
We believe that this unprotected work stoppage is not related to company issues
and is as a result of continued union rivalry. The safety of our employees
remains our first priority and we have been liaising with the SA Police Services
in this regard. We condemn the use of violence and intimidation in the
strongest possible terms and have called on all the parties to do the same.
Management has been in contact with AMCU and the self-appointed "worker leaders"
to explain our position and secure a return to work. During the past few
months, we have also attempted to bring the rival unions and "worker leaders"
into an agreed interim worker representative structure, but the unions have
refused to co-operate.
We have called on our employees to return to work and have appealed to all
parties to allow employees to freely exercise their democratic right to join
their preferred union; and for the unions to allow the law to take its course.
We have communicated to our workers that this is an illegal work stoppage and as
a result, we will enforce the `no work no pay` principle and take strong
disciplinary action against employees who have been involved in acts of
intimidation and violence. We remain confident that we will secure a return to
work soon and are applying for a court interdict.
Implats will lose approximately 3,000 platinum ounces per day during the work
stoppage, which, if protracted will impact our near term profitability as well
as the number of jobs we can sustain in the future.
23 May 2012
Johannesburg
Sponsor
Deutsche Securities (SA) (Proprietary) Limited
Date: 23/05/2012 16:00:02 Produced by the JSE SENS Department.
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