South African minors protest turns violent
ROUGH CUT - NO REPORTER NARRATION<br/> <br />South African police used rubber bullets, teargas and stun grenades to disperse striking miners who turned violent during a protest in Rustenburg on Saturday (October 27, 2012).<br/> <br />National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) members clashed with other workers who have been fighting a deadly turf war for support.<br/> <br />Seven people were arrested but no major injuries were reported in the incident about 120 km (80 miles) northwest of Johannesburg, police said.<br/> <br />Anglo American Platinum says it has reached a deal with the workers to reinstate 12,000 miners who were sacked for an illegal strike, and offered sweeteners such as a one-off hardship payment of 2,000 rand ($230) to facilitate the return.<br/> <br />The strike has lasted about six weeks and crippled production.<br/> <br />Union spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka said he expected workers would return to their posts and "that will mean the end of the strike".<br/> <br />In recent days, several wildcat strikes over wages and working conditions in the gold sector have come to an end with employers sacking, or threatening to sack, miners striking illegally.<br/> <br />South African labour law requires clear formal processes for strikes and walk-outs. Those that do not go through all the proper hoops are considered illegal, and can result in striking workers being sacked.<br/> <br />Mining firms usually reinstate dismissed workers because it is more expensive to train a new workforce. But some of the job losses could be permanent with employers using the labour strife to shut down marginal mines in South Africa.
