SOUTH AFRICAN miners have urged Impala Platinum bosses not to sack more than 2,000 workers who staged a three-day stay-down strike last week.

Workers took action to demand immediate pension payments after Impala took over the Bafokeng Rasimone Mine in September.

National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) spokesman Livhuwani Mammburu said the firm was considering sacking the 2,205 workers involved.

He said NUM president Dan Balepile was leading talks “to make sure that NUM members are not dismissed and that jobs are saved.”

Mr Mammburu said NUM members had been assaulted underground.

“These hooligans and criminals from rogue unions have subjected innocent workers to assault, kidnapping, torture, humiliation, violation and discrimination, like we recently saw at Gold One Mine in Springs,” he said.

“This is a pure act of criminality and the law enforcement agencies must start arresting these hooligans and criminals.”