Senior South African ministers, mining bosses and union leaders met on Friday in the most concerted effort yet to end 18 months of labour strife and violence that has hit growth in Africa’s biggest economy.

Critically, leaders of both the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), an ally of the ruling African National Congress, and rival Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) were both present for the talks.

The meeting, which was also attended by mines minister Susan Shabangu and finance minister Pravin Gordhan, is one of the rare occasions that the rival unions have sat around the same negotiating table.

AMCU, which has emerged as the dominant union in the platinum shafts after a bloody turf war with the once unrivalled NUM, has led two brief wildcat strikes at Lonmin this year, most recently last month.

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, who is leading the negotiations, said he would leave “no stone unturned” to try and ease tensions.

President Jacob Zuma vowed on Wednesday to take a hard line against labour unrest in the sector as management and unions prepare to embark on industry-wide wage negotiations.
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