The strike action being carried out by South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) at Lonmin's Marikana operations has been suspended.

Reuters reports that the NUM has suspended the strike pending the outcome of a court hearing. The ruling is due to be announced on September 3rd, but workers will return to Marikana ahead of the decision.

A union official told Reuters that the organisation's members would be returning to work and the NUM is awaiting the outcome of a High Court decision on whether the industrial action was legal.

Workers at Lonmin's Marikana plant downed tools on Sunday because of concerns over the new payment process, causing the platinum miner to lose in the region of 3,400 oz of platinum production per day.

Frans Baleni, the NUM's general secretary, has already insisted to Mining Weekly that the strike was legal and that the NUM had gone through the appropriate channels prior to announcing the action.

Source:

S.Africa union says suspends Lonmin strike, 24/08/07
http://africa.reuters.com/business/news/usnBAN442399.html

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