Armageddon at Implat's wildcat strike? Mine eruptions escalate in South Africa

The entire workforce was fired in early January after the company had the strike declared illegal, but they are now re-hiring workers on the condition that they forfeit all benefits built-up over their years of work.

22 February 2012. South African miners are in the fifth week of a wildcat strike that has paralysed the Rustenburg mine of Impala Platinum, the biggest producer of platinum in the world. The last few days have seen antagonism erupt into increasingly militant action.

Things are so explosive there and it doesn't look like there's any way the authorities can diffuse the situation. If the workers extend the initial self-organisation of the strike towards the formation of independent worker's councils and occupy the mines things may easily escalate into a revolutionary general-strike very quickly - as has happened so many times before in the past.

All those who might be interested in organising support for the strikers are invited to contact the author at

lobesey[AT]gmail.com

Submitted by loveletters on Feb 22 2012 19:44