JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Platinum producer Lonmin , which on Friday welcomed the return to work of its employees following a two-day unprotected strike this week, said that it would accelerate certain aspects of the union membership recognition process at Marikana to ease tensions on the ground.

Production at all 13 of the company’s shafts was halted on Tuesday, as protesters demanded the closure of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) offices at Lonmin. The company, on Wednesday afternoon, secured a court interdict ordering striking employees to return to work.

Lonmin’s union membership profile had changed significantly over the past year, which necessitated negotiations of a new recognition agreement with workers’ representatives, which started in January.

The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) grew its presence significantly and now represented 70% of Lonmin category 4-9 employees, while the National Union of Mineworkers, which was formerly the majority union, currently represented about 20% of the category 4-9 employees.

Lonmin had already begun the process of derecognising the once dominant NUM in respect of category 4 to 9 bargaining unit following the significant changes in union membership at its operations.

“We can confirm that some aspects of this process will be accelerated in order to ease tensions on the ground at Marikana,” the London-based firm said in a statement.

Last week, the company said it welcomed AMCU’s decision to refer the negotiations around a new union recognition agreement to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).

“Lonmin can also confirm that it met with AMCU and the CCMA on Thursday with a view to concluding a new recognition agreement and the discussions are continuing today. We remain committed to the process of seeking a negotiated recognition agreement,” the company said.