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UPDATE 2-S.Africa's Gold Fields wins order blocking strike

Published 10/26/2010, 11:42 AM
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* Interim court order blocks strike at South Deep gold mine

* National Union of Mineworkers wants firm transformed

* Union says senior and top managers are mainly whites

(Adds NUM comments on interim court order)

By Shapi Shacinda

JOHANNESBURG, Oct 26 (Reuters) - South Africa's Gold Fields said it has won an interim court order blocking a planned strike on Tuesday by workers at its South Deep gold mine who want black people to have a greater role in management.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) had earlier announced that 6,000 of its members would strike at the mine after a dispute over worker involvement in the running of the company.

"Our main complaint is that the senior and top executive managers are mainly whites. We demand that there should be transformation at Gold Fields," NUM spokesman Lesiba Seshoka told Reuters earlier.

The union said it would abide by the temporary order from the labour court in Johannesburg and suspended the planned strike. The court issued its interim order pending the hearing of evidence.

"The NUM will announce the way forward as soon as the court application is heard later this week," it said in a statement.

The government said last month that whites still dominate South Africa's mining industry and changes to include more blacks in the sector are slow despite a decade of affirmative action.

Gold Fields spokesman Sven Lunsche said the company would hold further talks with the NUM to discuss its grievances, adding he was optimistic there would be an amicable settlement.

"If they go ahead with the strike, it will be an unprotected strike. We will continue to engage the union to resolve the underlying dispute," Lunsche said.

The company has said 2,800 workers at the mine were prepared to strike.

Seshoka also said the union wanted Gold Fields to change its procurement rules to achieve greater participation by black suppliers, but he gave no further details on the issue.

According to the government, only 8.9 percent of the country's mines were owned by blacks in 2009, well below a target of 15 percent. South Africa has set a target of 26 percent black ownership of its mines by 2014.

Trade unions, the government and some industry officials have criticised the mine owners for moving slowly to achieve higher participation of blacks in the management of companies.

South Africa is the world's largest producer of platinum and ferrochrome and also a major gold producer. (Additional reporting by Olivia Kumwenda, Editing by Anthony Barker)

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