The shooting by police of striking miners at Lonmin’s Marikana mine highlights the socioeconomic challenge all South African mining companies face as they cut costs to remain profitable. Producers of platinum also have to cope with overcapacity amid a glut, a weak European motor industry, soaring labour costs and rising energy prices. Lonmin was merely the latest miner to be hit by a strike after Impala Platinum emerged from six weeks of disruption. Although the strike at Lonmin ended yesterday, the damage could exacerbate the London-listed miner’s financial problems.
Lonmin在南非馬里卡納(Marikana)礦區的罷工礦工遭警方槍擊，突顯了南非所有礦業公司面臨的社會經濟挑戰，這些企業為保持盈利而削減成本。鉑金生產商們還不得不應對產品積壓情況下的產能過剩、疲軟的歐洲汽車業、飆升的勞動力成本以及能源價格的上漲。Lonmin不過是自因帕拉鉑金(Impala Platinum)告別為期6周的停產后，最新一家遭遇罷工的礦商。雖然Lonmin的罷工已于周一結束，但其損害可能會加劇這家倫敦上市礦商的財務問題。