Impala Platinum today has warned that industrial action at South Africa's platinum mines could become more widespread.
A violent six-week strike at Implats' Rustenburg operations early this year sliced 21 percent off its full-year production
This combined with declining metals prices, led to a drastic cut in its dividend.
"The platinum industry is experiencing increased levels of industrial action, as witnessed at both Impala Rustenburg at the beginning of this year and more recently at Lonmin
These developments pose a significant risk to the industry," said Implats' newly installed chief executive Terence Goodlace.
Implats is confident that their operations are "relatively stable",
He also said the trade union rivalry that sparked the strike at both its operations and Lonmin's was still "fairly volatile".
A bitter turf war between the entrenched majority National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and rival Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) has already spilled over to surrounding mines in the Rustenburg area and analysts are worried about a contagion hitting gold producers.
The platinum price has also jumped to a three-month high on the threat that South Africa, as supplier of 80 percent of the world's platinum, could be disrupted indefinitely.
Three lives were claimed during the strike at Implats in January and February. This cost the company, which produces 30 percent of the world's platinum, 120,000 ounces in lost production and translated into 2.8 billion rand ($336.57 million) in lost revenue.
