Gold, platinum giants toughen stance over S. Africa strikes

The world's top platinum miner ordered 26,000 striking workers in South Africa to report for disciplinary hearings Tuesday or risk the sack, as gold giant AngloGold Ashanti warned strikers there they might be forced to scale down their operations.

Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) told its striking workers they had to turn up in person to explain their absence from work or face dismissal.

"The company will also be left with no alternative but to dismiss, in their absence, all employees who do not present themselves," it said in a statement.

At AngloGold Ashanti meanwhile, the chief executive of the world's number-three gold producer warned that their patience was wearing thin after more than a week of illegal strikes over pay.

"Clearly for South Africa's gold sector, as for many others, there is a very clear trade-off between investing in the sustainability of our business and employment," Mark Cutifani said in a statement.

"If the current unprotected strike continues, it compounds risks of a premature downsizing of AngloGold Ashanti's South African operations," said Cutifani.  more