22 a Explain how a miners’ union would attempt to counteract Impala Platinum’s wage offers.

b Is it possible that the union offi cials might be acting in their own interest and not in the interest of the miners? Impala Platinum has sacked 17,000 South African miners at its Rustenburg mine because they took part in an illegal strike.

The miners refused to have their union negotiate in the twoweek pay dispute with the world’s second largest platinum producer. Mining provides a quarter of all jobs in Rustenburg.