Rustenburg - Amcu members at Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) in Rustenburg vowed on Friday to continue their strike until the company stopped retrenchments.
“We are not going to retreat until Anglo Platinum backs down on retrenchments,” Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union local leader George Tyobeka said.
“We are taking nothing else except zero retrenchment.”
Amcu members at Amplats Rustenburg operations downed tools on Friday, demanding that the company not retrench 3300 workers.
“We are not going underground until the company stops retrenchments,” he said.
Amcu and Amplats held a last minute meeting in a bid to avoid the strike.
The meeting was held in Johannesburg on Thursday and continued on Friday morning.
Local union leaders who had attended the meeting in Johannesburg told the crowd that Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa could not come to speak to the workers due to other commitments.
They called on workers to be disciplined and not be involved in incidents of violence.
The workers were expected to meet at Thembelani Mine near Zakhele informal settlement on Monday.
Police were keeping watch. - Sapa