The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has rejected a revised wage offer from Northam Platinum, the world’s fifth largest platinum producer, extending a five day old strike by over 7000 of its members.

The union says its members feel that management’s offer is still far from their demand.

NUM’s regional organiser Comfort Phaala says: “We’ve conducted a mass meeting today in order to engage our members in the current development and we would like to report that the offer has been rejected by our members, noting that the development only gives a R500 increase to none core employees and a R600 to those who are core employees. Looking at the difference between the parties the gab is too big. The strike will be continuing.”
   
The strike involves the workforce at Northam’s Zondereinde operation, which accounts for the vast majority of the company’s annual production of three hundred ounces.

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