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JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The world's largest platinum mine, run by Impala Platinum , remained closed for a second day on Wednesday, taking another3,000 ounces out of global output, as a union turf war rumbled on. "The rival unions are still playing a game of winner takes all.This should not be a fight to the death," Johan Theron, Implatshead of human resources, told Reuters. The fresh flare-up buries hopes of settling a labour battle thatshut the Rustenburg mine, which accounts for about 15 percent ofglobal output, for six weeks earlier this year. That cost Implats120,000 lost ounces. But markets took the fresh unrest in stride. Spot platinum was onepercent lower in morning trade, extending recent losses, with thefocus on the gloomy demand outlook. Rustenburg, Implats' flagship South African mine, has been hit byclashes between the dominant National Union of Mineworkers (NUM)and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU). The latest round was sparked when police say suspected AMCUsupporters allegedly shot and wounded a NUM member last week. Theirarrest on Monday prompted protests, which saw most of the mine'sworkforce failing to report for duty on Tuesday. Theron said the AMCU, which has launched a recruiting drive, wantedrecognition from the company and now claimed to have 10,000 membersor about a third of the 30,000-strong labour force if processingworkers are counted. He said about a third of the workers were not union members so ifthe AMCU's claims were true, its numbers at the operation would nowroughly rival the NUM's. Theron said the company planned to conduct an audit of theworkforce and if this was true, it would have to renegotiate its"majority union" agreement there with the NUM. Officials from neither union were immediately available for commentbut the NUM was launching a 4-day congress on Wednesday and the theAMCU challenge will likely be a point of discussion. The stakes are high as the AMCU is widely regarded to be moreradical than the NUM, which has managed to consistently secureabove-inflation wage increases for its members. Platinum miners negotiate their own contracts with workers, makingthem more vulnerable to recruitment drives from upstart unions thantheir gold or coal counterparts, which do so collectively as anindustry through the country's Chamber of Mines. Implats' recognition could embolden the AMCU to take the NUM on atother companies, stoking tensions on South Africa's combustiblelabour front. Thomson Reuters 2012 All rights reserved SUBSCRIBE to Mineweb.com's free daily newsletter now. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as China Nigerian Lace Fabrics , Sequin Embroidered Fabric for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Swiss Lace Fabric.
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