S Africa: Gold One-mine suspends 1400 workers

We now have officially suspended approximately 1,300 to 1,400 of approximately 1,800 workers at the Ezulwini mine, Gold One spokesman Grant Stuart told AFP.He said only around 400 workers clocked in at the Cooke 4 Shaft in Randfontein west of Johannesburg on Wednesday.Strikers were gathering early this (Wednesday) morning but the South African Police Service were there and the crowd seems to have dispersed, said Stuart.The Labour Court on Tuesday granted the firm an interdict against the strike which was unprotected and unlawful, according to a company statement.The employees were further interdicted from participating in the industrial action, which is in contravention of a two year wage agreement signed in July 2012, it said.Suspended miners have to make representations to management on Friday.Majority-owned by a Chinese consortium, Gold Ones flagship Modder East gold mine east of Johannesburg produced 123,179 ounces of gold in 2011.The firm acquired the Ezulwini operations in 2012.Illegal industrial actions have spread across the mining and manufacturing industries in South Africa, the continents largest economy, since August.South Africa was the worlds fourth largest gold producer last year.The most violent strike was the Lonmin Platinum mine walkout which started on August 10 and left 46 people dead, 34 of them were shot by police in one day.