Platinum miners strike in South Africa

Tens of thousands of platinum miners in South Africa are on strike, demanding higher wages in a protest that is disrupting one of the country’s major industries.

The strike by the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union began Thursday. Protesters sang and danced outside one mine shaft in Rustenburg, the centre of major platinum operations. South Africa is the world’s leading producer of the metal, which is used in medical, electronic and other industries.

South African officials have appealed for dialogue and say they will act decisively to enforce the law. In 2012, police shot and killed several dozen miners during labour unrest at a Lonmin platinum mine. An inquiry into the shootings is still underway.