The world’s biggest platinum producer, Anglo American Platinum, sacked 12,000 striking workers in South Africa Friday, just hours after a miner was killed in clashes with police.Anglo American Platinum said the miners failed to appear before disciplinary hearings “and have therefore been dismissed in their absence.”Around 28,000 workers have been on strike for three weeks at the firm’s sprawling mines in Rustenburg, in the north of the country, demanding better pay and conditions.The company said the strike had so far cost 700 million rand ($80 million, 60 million euro) in lost revenue.In a bid to halt further losses, Amplats on Monday warned wildcat strikers that they would be sacked if they failed to attend hearings.On Friday, it made good on that threat.“Despite the company’s repeated calls for employees to return to work, we have continued to experience attendance levels of less than 20 percent,” the firm said in a statement.The standoff has intensified this week, with at least six people killed as miners showed no sign of dropping their demands for higher pay.Late Thursday one miner was killed when police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse a group of 300 illegal strikers protesting on a hilltop close to the mines. AFP
