Forbes & Manhatten Coal, a Toronto-based company, suspended operations at its mines in South Africa after two workers were killed in strike-related activity.
Forbes & Manhatten Coal, a Toronto-based company, suspended operations at its mines in South Africa after two workers were killed in strike-related activity.
A report from Dow Jones Newswire quotes a police source who says security officers shot the workers Wednesday, after a protest of about 100 people dispersed and some workers attempted to storm an armory containing mine explosives.
“In order to ensure the safety of all our employees and to safeguard our assets, we have taken a decision to suspend all operations until such time as deemed safe and appropriate by management and the board,” Forbes & Manhatten Coal chief executive Stephan Theron said in a statement posted on the company’s website.
Violent strikes have spread across South Africa’s mining industry, shutting down production at platinum, ore, gold and iron plants. In August, police shot 34 miners dead at Lonmin, a platinum mine, an act described as the worst violence the country has seen since apartheid ended. The Forbes & Manhattan Coal workers have been striking since Oct 17.