Platinum producer Lonmin Plc. (LMI.L, LNMIF.PK) announced Wednesday that, in negotiations through the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration or CCMA, no agreement has been reached on forming a new union recognition agreement with the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union or AMCU.
With no resolution between the parties having been obtained, the senior commissioners of the CCMA issued a Certificate of Non-Resolution on the afternoon of Tuesday 21 May, 2013. But, the parties have agreed to meet for a further session on Thursday 23 May, 2013, to attempt to move the process forward.
If no agreement can be reached at that meeting the process will then move to formal arbitration, the company said.
On 14th May, Lonmin announced that none of its mining workforce went underground this morning and no mining was currently taking place at Marikana. While this was an uncertain and evolving situation, management was in discussions with its recognised trade unions to ascertain the reasons for the stoppage and to encourage workers to return to work, the company said.
On 16th May, Lonmin said it welcomed an overnight return to work by employees engaged in an unprotected strike action which began on 14th May.
On 17th May, Lonmin said that on Wednesday afternoon, 15 May, it secured a court interdict in its favour ordering striking employees to return to work and subsequently informed staff and unions of this development. This was an unprotected work stoppage and the principle of no work no pay was applied.
However, the company had said it considered the situation in totality, and in particular, the risk that recent events may escalate and compromise the safety of its employees, property and community members.
Lonmin had said it already begun the process of de-recognising the National Union of Mineworkers or NUM in respect of category 4 to 9 bargaining unit following the significant changes in union membership at its operations.
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