MARIKANA: The return of striking miners to work at a South African platinum plant depends on the outcome of crucial "peace talks", after 44 died in an illegal walkout, a strike leader said.
The strikers, who claim to belong to no union, were invited to the talks Wednesday after a Church-brokered meeting with management of the London-listed Lonmin mine.
"The Wednesday meeting will determine whether the strike continues or we go back to work," said Zolisa Bodlani, one of the workers' representatives in a meeting Monday, while talking to a crowd of 1,000 people.
The labour ministry will mediate talks between the mine, unions and the workers to set up a "peace accord" with the goal of terms of reference "to ensure a secure environment", said Lonmin spokeswoman Sue Vey.
Newly powerful guild the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), which has challenged the established National Union of Mineworker's (NUM) dominance among workers, was also invited.
"It's all about the peace accord. We haven't talked about dismissal or anything else," Vey told AFP.
Workers, who claim they earn 4,000 rand, want their pay tripled to 12,500 rand (1,190 euros, $1,490 per month). Lommin however, says they already earn around 10,000 rand a month.
The company was adamant wage issues would only be discussed once calm returned to the mine, Vey insisted.
Strikers meanwhile threatened retaliation against non-strikers at the mine where most of the 28,000-workforce did not show up for shift 11 days after the country's worst police violence since apartheid.
"I say let us deal with them when they come back from work," Sandiso Mpumlwana, a member of the workers committee, told the crowd gathered near the mine.
Mpumlwana warned that the police would not protect returning workers in their homes, as officers kept watch from a distance on the crowd which gathered near where police shot dead 34 people.
"Police can't protect them forever, they don't sleep with them in their shacks," he said through a loud hailer to a rousing applause.
Lonmin said threats had stopped workers from going back to work, with only 13 percent of the world number three platinum producer's staff showing up for the morning shift as the stand-off over wage demands dragged past its 18th day.
"We understand that employees are waiting for the environment to be safe before returning to work," the company said in a statement.
"There have been incidents of intimidation towards bus drivers overnight as well as intimidation of (eastern shaft) workers this morning, preventing them from coming to work."
South Africa's police watchdog also said it was probing 130 complaints that police had beaten or injured the arrested workers in detention.
Workers at the mine flocked to the dusty open space that has become their regular meeting point, some dressed in underground safety boots and clothes, and said they would not work until wage demands were met.
"The strike continues and we won't move until we are given money, otherwise they should take their company back to London and exploit people there," said Lungisani Nogwanya.
Meanwhile 259 workers arrested during the August 16 violence were taken for a second appearance in a Pretoria court on charges ranging from public violence to murder, where an investigator said 78 workers hospitalised after the clashes would also be charged.
The court is expected on Tuesday to postpone the case for another week for further investigation.
Residents were bussed in to support the group who were detained after the shooting. Police shot dead 34 people, claiming self-defence after they failed to break up a mob when inter-union clashes claimed 10 lives.
But the miners rejected the explanation.
"We don't understand why they were arrested, we want them to be released on free bail," said Mpumlwana.
Dozens of singing and dancing women kept a vigil outside the court, demanding the charges be dropped.
Autopsy reports on the dead meanwhile showed most had been shot from behind, a local newspaper reported Monday.
"The post-mortem reports indicate that most of the people were fleeing from the police when they got killed," an unnamed source involved in the investigation told The Star newspaper.
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