InfoAnda - Analysis: You're fired - or maybe not, South Africa's mines say |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Former Jackson bodyguard drops UK libel action | 22 June 2010
Stallone's "The Expendables" Beats Box Office Competition, "Eat Pray Love" At 2nd Place | 16 August 2010
Standoff over US base closure sours US-Japan ties | 29 December 2009

Medvedev urges more US action in 'very bad' Mideast | 11 May 2010

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Analysis: You're fired - or maybe not, South Africa's mines say |

Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Home Business Business Home Economy Technology Media Small Business Legal Deals Earnings Social Pulse Business Video The Freeland File Aerospace & Defense Markets Markets Home U.S. Markets European Markets Asian Markets Global Market Data Indices M&A Stocks Bonds Currencies Commodities Futures Funds peHUB World World Home U.S. Brazil China Euro Zone Japan Mexico Russia India Insight World Video Reuters Investigates Decoder Politics Politics Home Election 2012 Campaign Polling Supreme Court Politics Video Tech Technology Home MediaFile Science Tech Video Tech Tonic Social Pulse Opinion Opinion Home Chrystia Freeland John Lloyd Felix Salmon Jack Shafer David Rohde Nader Mousavizadeh Lucy P. Marcus Nicholas Wapshott Bethany McLean Anatole Kaletsky Edward Hadas Hugo Dixon Ian Bremmer Lawrence Summers Susan Glasser The Great Debate Steven Brill Reihan Salam Frederick Kempe Christopher Papagianis Mark Leonard Breakingviews Equities Credit Private Equity M&A Macro & Markets Politics Breakingviews Video Money Money Home Tax Break Lipper Awards 2012 Global Investing MuniLand Unstructured Finance Linda Stern Mark Miller John Wasik James Saft Analyst Research Alerts Watchlist Portfolio Stock Screener Fund Screener Personal Finance Video Money Clip Investing 201 Life Health Sports Arts Faithworld Business Traveler Entertainment Oddly Enough Lifestyle Video Pictures Pictures Home Reuters Photographers Full Focus Video Reuters TV Reuters News Article Comments (0) Full Focus Editor's choice Our best photos from the last 24 hours. Slideshow Images of September Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read Obama comes out swinging after debate | 1:41am EDT Kutcher tops Forbes' list of highest paid TV actors 17 Oct 2012 Voters say Obama beat Romney in second debate | 17 Oct 2012 Obama comes out swinging after debate - in swing states | 17 Oct 2012 UPDATE 1-Obama plans election-night rally in Chicago convention center 17 Oct 2012 Discussed 173 Obama gets second chance in debate rematch with Romney 138 Biden and Ryan in high-stakes election debate 96 Jobless claims fall to lowest in four and a half years Sponsored Links Analysis: "You're fired" - or maybe not, South Africa's mines say Tweet Share this Email Print Related News South Africa's "richest tribe" offers platinum model 2:18am EDT Analysis & Opinion A happy future for the “doomed continent”? The EAST cure for unemployment Related Topics World » By Ed Cropley JOHANNESBURG | Thu Oct 18, 2012 2:18am EDT JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - According to his "final ultimatum" to wildcat strikers, Gold Fields chief executive Nick Holland is hours away from firing 23,000 miners. In the poisonous atmosphere of the worst industrial unrest in South Africa since the end of apartheid, everything points to him making good on his threat on Thursday, adding to the 15,000 men already sacked by platinum mines in the last two weeks. The numbers are dramatic, and have political implications for President Jacob Zuma and his African National Congress (ANC), since each miner probably supports up to 10 dependents. The reality, however, is that the mass dismissals are just another tactic - albeit a hard-ball one - in the long standoff between management and workers over pay and conditions. When a deal is finally reached, most will get their jobs back. Re-hiring thousands of miners may be a logistical nightmare for the likes of Gold Fields, the world's fourth largest bullion producer, but the bosses know - as do the workers - that the company has few other options if it is to restart production. "It's very common that the employer uses mass dismissal as a way of changing the nature of the dispute," said one labour lawyer. He asked not to be named because he is involved in talks to resolve the strikes, which have hit growth and confidence in Africa's biggest economy. "It's largely a tactical move," he said. "They don't expect to be able to run a mine with a completely new labour force." AngloGold Ashanti, the world's No. 3 bullion producer, said on Wednesday it would decide next week whether to follow Gold Fields in its dismissal ultimatum, which falls due at 2 p.m. (1200 GMT) on Thursday. Despite the fighting talk from chief executive Mark Cutifani in an interview with Reuters in London, the mood among strikers at AngloGold's mine in Carletonville, 40 km (25 miles) west of Johannesburg, was one of defiance and disdain. "Come on, fire us," one man, among a group of hundreds of strikers on a hill near the mine, told Reuters Television as his friends joked and capered around him, pulling 10 rand notes from their wallets to wave at the camera. "What are you going to do then?" he asked. "We know you're going to have to rehire us in two weeks." WORST SINCE 1987 The strikes that erupted in early August at platinum miner Lonmin have pushed South African labour relations to their lowest ebb since a mass uprising in 1987 that successfully brought the white-controlled economy to its knees. Some of the blame can be traced back to the police killing of 34 strikers at Lonmin's Marikana mine on August 16, the worst security incident since apartheid ended in 1994 - and to the hefty pay hike that eventually got miners back on the job. However, it is also a consequence of the stress under which much of the industry, in particular platinum, finds itself, as well as grassroots disillusionment with the sluggish pace of economic change under nearly two decades of ANC rule. The unrest first flared in January, with a six-week walkout at Impala Platinum, the world's No. 2 producer of the precious metal, as a result of a turf war between the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the upstart Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU). NUM, whose close relationship with the ANC was forged in decades of struggle against white rule, was accused of being out of touch with workers and enjoying too cosy a relationship with management and the government. Revelations that NUM leader Frans Baleni earns more than 1 million rand ($116,000) a year only reinforced the point, and helped fuel walkouts at Gold Fields by workers fed up primarily with NUM shop stewards they saw as self-serving. Zuma made a point this week of standing shoulder to shoulder with its old friend in a bid to restore the NUM-led "collective bargaining" that has ensured relative labour stability in the mines over the last two decades. But this misses the point that NUM are part of the problem, and may not necessarily part of the solution. "The NUM can't come to us. They say they are scared of us," said Evans Ramokga, a representative for striking workers at an Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) mine near Rustenburg, 120 km (70 miles) northwest of Johannesburg. "RESTRUCTURING" Amplats announced the dismissal of 12,000 strikers on October 5, causing a sharp fall in the rand due to fears it would inflame unrest in which more than 50 people have been killed, including several NUM officials shot or hacked to death. But Ramokga - as with his gold mining colleagues - appears unperturbed, secure in the knowledge that the world's largest platinum producer will eventually have to come "We're waiting patiently," he told Reuters. "That's why you don't see us going to the management. We're just waiting for them." His confidence might be misplaced. Analysts believe half of South Africa's platinum mines are making a loss because of a fall in the price of the metal this year, and Amplats parent company Anglo American has already placed its four Rustenburg mines "under review" - management-speak for working out whether to close them. Gold Fields' Holland has also said that "restructuring" - again, managerial shorthand for closing shafts and laying off miners - "may become inevitable" as labour costs rise and South Africa's gold mines head ever deeper underground. The lessons from Impala are telling: having fired 17,200 miners in the depths of its January dispute, the company rehired only 15,000 when it restarted operations in March. "Unquestionably, when it comes to re-hiring, there will be fewer jobs," the labour expert said. "And this will be one of the points of negotiation." ($1 = 8.6100 South African rand) (Additional reporting by Dinky Mkhize and Sarah Young; Editing by Alastair Macdonald) World Related Quotes and News Company Price Related News Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above. Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Back to top Reuters.com Business Markets World Politics Technology Opinion Money Pictures Videos Site Index Legal Bankruptcy Law California Legal New York Legal Securities Law Support & Contact Support Corrections Connect with Reuters Twitter Facebook LinkedIn RSS Podcast Newsletters Mobile About Privacy Policy Terms of Use AdChoices Copyright Our Flagship financial information platform incorporating Reuters Insider An ultra-low latency infrastructure for electronic trading and data distribution A connected approach to governance, risk and compliance Our next generation legal research platform Our global tax workstation Thomsonreuters.com About Thomson Reuters Investor Relations Careers Contact Us Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Thursday, 18 October 2012
Alleged 9/11 mastermind: America killed more people than hijackers did |
CIA officer, Army intelligence analyst killed in Afghan attack |
Germany's Schaeuble, Merkel push for crisis cure on summit eve |
Colombia, FARC rebels begin peace talks in Oslo |
Mexico to exhume remains of slain Zetas chief's parents for DNA |
Russia criticizes EU Iran sanctions, urges talks |
U.N. nuclear chief rejects Iran saboteurs accusation |
France's Hollande acknowledges 1961 massacre of Algerians |
Exclusive: White House review finds no evidence of spying by Huawei
EBay reports 15 percent increase in quarterly revenue |
Actress Megan Fox gives birth to baby boy |
Kutcher tops Forbes' list of highest paid TV actors |
J.K. Rowling, adult fiction author, jokes about 50 Shades |
Mumford & Sons hold Billboard 200 No. 1 for third week |
Rapper Flavor Flav arrested on suspicion of assault |
For Benghazi diplomatic security, U.S. relied on small British firm |
Attacker of Pakistani schoolgirl was held, freed in 2009: sources |
Syria envoy says bloodshed could engulf Middle East |
Greeks go on strike over austerity as EU meets |
Mexican drug kingpin's daughter not talking to U.S. officials |
Chinese wind power firm suing Obama vows to fight all the way |
Surprisingly, China's newspapers criticize detention for dissent |
Analysis: You're fired
Under fire over Congo rebels, Rwanda eyes U.N. Security Council seat |
Argentina's Senate passes bill to lower voting age |
Analysis: How long can Google's shares stay airborne? |
White House-ordered review found no evidence of Huawei spying: sources |
Nokia to post loss ahead of make-or-break launches |
Yahoo's departing CFO to get annual salary, bonus as severance |
Fast-growing Jumptap looks to possible IPO, sale |
New app from Finland takes crime fighting to phone screen |
Mumford & Sons hold Billboard 200 No. 1 for third week |
Woman tops ArtReview power 100 list for first time |
J.K. Rowling, adult fiction author, jokes about 50 Shades |
Nothing political in Seal Team Six film timing, TV chief says |
Top Asian literary prize seeks new sponsor |
Filmmaker explores dark family saga in The Flat |
Rapper Flavor Flav arrested on suspicion of assault |
Bangladesh father denies son involved in New York bomb plot |
Colombian government, FARC rebels to meet in Cuba in mid-November |
After jail, Deri comeback stirs Israeli election campaign |
Drone kills nine near formerly rebel-occupied Yemen town: sources |
Twitter blocks neo-Nazi group's messages in Germany |
Fidel Castro reappears in print after months of silence |
Tunisia Islamist government to launch web TV after media strike |
Apple loses tablet copyright appeal against Samsung |
Analysis: How long can Google's shares stay airborne? |
Twitter blocks neo-Nazi group's messages in Germany |
Uniqlo to rev up U.S. expansion with online shopping |
IBM in talks to buy Israel mobile software firm Red Bend: media |
Bahrain charges four men with defaming king on Twitter |
Nokia posts loss, future hinges on new Lumia sales |
Hepburn to Harry Potter: Hollywood costumes in UK show |
Guitar Heroine: Joanne Shaw Taylor a rare axe-woman |
Emmanuelle star Sylvia Kristel dies in Amsterdam |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01