File: Miners walk past the entrance of the Sibanye-Stillwater platinum mine in Marikana, near Rustenburg. AFP/Michele Spatari
JOHANNESBURG - Sibanye-Stillwater's earnings in the first quarter of this year were lower than anticipated.
This is partly due to the two-month strike at its gold operations as well as safety issues.
Gold production, which made up around 8 percent of the group’s earnings last year, fell by 45 percent.
Mining operations ceased on 9 March after 10 months of wage negotiations failed.
READ: Unions to meet Sibanye-Stillwater to resolve months-long strike
The company's core profit fell by a third to R13.7-billion. The South African platinum group metals production was also lower in the period.
This due to a slower than planned return to work at the Marikana and Rustenburg operations after the Christmas break.
After fresh negotiations with unions and the Minister of Mineral Resources, the company was still unable to reach a deal with workers.
