The Association for Mining and Construction Union (Amcu) is threatening to shut the country's gold, platinum and coal mines as a strike at Sibanye-Stillwater heads into its fourth month. The union said on Tuesday that it would get its members to down tools at platinum, coal and gold mines where it has recognition agreements. This will include members at AngloGold Ashanti, Harmony, Lonmin and Impala Platinum, Amcu president Joseph Matunjwa told reporters. The strike declaration comes after Sibanye-Stillwater announced last week that it would begin section 189 processes to retrench as many as 6,670 people as it plans to close unprofitable shafts at its Beatrix and Driefontein gold mines. Amcu has been on strike at Sibanye's gold operations on the West Rand and the Free State since November 2018 over wage hikes. However, the company said the restructuring was not linked to the industrial action. In January, the union staged a stayaway at Sibanye’s platinum operations in the Rustenburg ...

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