Production at Aquarius Platinum's South African operations has been heavily hit by industrial action, it has been confirmed.

The company had earlier this week issued a statement that production at its Kroondal shaft and opencast are continuing and that those at its opencast operation and process plant at the Marikana mine were unaffected by the strike.

However, Spokesperson Nick Bias of Aquarius has told Mineweb that the platinum market will not see 80 per cent of Kroondal's production and 50 per cent of Marikana production until the middle of next week.

Meanwhile, the firm's primary underground mining contractor Murray & Roberts Cementation has said that it is in the process of re-employing the 3,350 staff who had been striking.

At the heart of the strike was a bonus demand from workers as well as unrest over the dismissal of 108 load-haul dumper operators in March.

Throughout the strike production at Aquarius' Everest mine has continued as normal.

Sources:

Platinum production falls at Kroondal and Marikana, 19/07/07
http://www.mineweb.net/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page35?oid=23674&sn=Detail

Aquarius Platinum's contractor sacks 3,250 after strike, 19/07/07
http://www.wabusinessnews.com.au/en-story/1/55075/Aquarius-Platinum-s-contractor-sacks-3-250-after-strike

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