Johannesburg - Platinum producers have welcomed a Labour Court decision to strike off the roll an Amcu application against companies directly approaching striking workers.
The Chamber of Mines said on Monday employees should be allowed to decide whether they wished to return to work.
“The employers believe that any means available should be used to ensure that employees are fully informed of the position of the companies and the offer that has been made,” spokeswoman Charmane Russell said.
“The companies have been inundated by calls from employees seeking information, and will now continue to communicate with employees on a regular basis.”
Labour Court Judge Rob le Grange struck the application by the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union off the roll for lack of urgency.
Amcu had brought an application on an urgent basis.
It sought to prevent the employers from communicating wage settlement offers to Amcu members and to prevent Impala from conducting surveys of its employees as to whether the employees wished to return to work.
Amcu members at Lonmin, Impala and Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) downed tools on January 23 demanding a basic monthly salary of R12 500.
They rejected the companies' offer that would bring their cash remuneration to R12 500 by July 2017.
Russell said employers had forfeited around R20.6 billion in earnings, and employees had forgone earnings of around R9.2 billion.
Sapa