When the world’s biggest platinum miners sit down with labour unions this month to negotiate a three-year wage deal, it could prove an early test of Cyril Ramaphosa’s new presidency in South Africa. An amicable outcome will bolster Ramaphosa — the former mine union leader and one-time platinum company investor — as he seeks to lure foreign investors. However, tensions are fraught on both sides and there are fears the labour unions will go on strike, which could send platinum prices soaring.
