Workers went on strike for two days in a dispute over trade union affiliation.

Striking South African workers at the Lonmin-run platinum mine in Marikana on Wednesday night returned to work, the SAPA news agency cited the company as saying yesterday, May 16, 2013. A spokesperson for Lonmin, Sue Vey, confirmed that 83 per cent of employees returned to work for Wednesday’s night shift.

Workers affiliated to the Association of Mine Workers and Construction Union, AMCU, went on strike on Tuesday, May, 14, 2013, demanding the closure of National Union of Mine Workers, NUM, offices at Marikana. Workers were angered by the killing last weekend of AMCU’s Regional Organiser for the North West, Mawethu Steven. In an address at Wonderkop Stadium on Wednesday, AMCU President, Joseph Mathunjwa, ordered the 5,000 striking miners to return to work by 6 pm.

He announced that the strike had been suspended pending the outcome of talks between AMCU, Lonmin and the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, CCMA, concerning recognition of the union. As at yesterday morning, at least 86 per cent of platinum mine workers had resumed work at Marikana, SABC said. Sue Vey explained that discussions were continuing on the workers’ demands. She said the company believed that returning to work and allowing engagement to continue through established channels was in everybody’s best interest.

Reacting to the strike, South Africa’s currency, the Rand, fell in value against the US dollar, caused partly by fears that the Lonmin strike could result in a repeat of the industrial unrest that hit the economy last year. Also, Lonmin's shares fell by over 10 per cent in two days. But South Africa’s Trade and Industry Minister, Rob Davies, assured that the country was not in danger of losing foreign investments.  He said investors were not discouraged by recent mining strikes, including the one at Marikana, as they recognised Africa as the world’s next growth frontier.