Miners down tools as unrest spreads

Striking South African platinum miners stayed off the job yesterday and marched to press wage demands at major producer Lonmin as 15,000 workers at the world’s fourth biggest bullion producer, Gold Fields, also downed tools.

Thousands of Lonmin workers were defying yesterday’s deadline to return to shafts that have been idle for a month at the Marikana mine, 100km northwest of Johannesburg.

Growing labour unrest is challenging the ruling ANC’s claim to be able to defend workers’ interests while ensuring stable economic growth.