Coal of Africa Limited (CoAL) CEO John Wallington has confirmed the company has signed an agreement with the National Union Mineworkers (NUM) on Wednesday to end a strike.
The Mooiplaats colliery, near Ermelo, suffered a six-week wage-related strike, which resulted in the company declaring “force majeure” on 25 September.
The Woestalleen and Vele collieries remained operational during the Mooiplaats strike, based on agreed wage settlements.
Wallington told Mining Week that the labour unrest in the South African mining sector was a cause for concern, particularly as the coal market seemed to have softened.
Overall, CoAL increased its quarterly output to 954 876 tons, from 854 496 tons in the June quarter.
But total coal sales fell to 621 456 tons, from 870 817 tons in the June quarter, with export sales dropping to 244 972 tons from 411 005 tons, owing to softer demand and lower throughput capacity at the Matola Coal Terminal in Mozambique.
The company also reported ongoing pressure on the index-linked RB1 export-quality thermal coal prices, which declined to an average of $87/ton in the September quarter, from $94/ton in the June quarter.
