North West - Workers at the Samancor Chrome Western Mine, near Rustenburg, embarked on a wildcat strike on Monday, the company said.
This followed the end of a sit-in protest by about 400 people at the mine on Friday.
The unprotected strike was confirmed by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).
“We were under the impression that today they would return to work, but it looks like illegal strikes are in fashion right now,” said NUM spokesman Lesiba Seshoka.
Samancor said its production had been affected by the strike and it was working to resolve this.
“The company is currently engaging with its recognised unions in order to resolve the situation and to get the employees back to work,” the company said in a statement.
Workers said they were demanding a monthly pay of R12 500 after deductions, a R1 500 sleep-out allowance and a R1 500 underground allowance.
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.
Seshoka said the labour 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. - Sapa