Fresh clashes broke out Saturday between police and protesters at South Africa's Marikana platinum mine, leading police to call for back up from the army, dpa reported. "The soldiers were deployed at the request of the police to support them in their operation," army spokesman Xolani Mabanga said. Earlier in Saturday, police fired rubber bullets to break up a group of protesters, according to the news agency SAPA. Demonstrators had earlier set tyres on fire to block access to the mine. Police arrested at least seven strikers for taking part in an illegal gathering. Mine workers demanding a pay increase have been taking part in a wildcat strike since August, and 44 people have been killed in clashes between police and protesters, including 34 shot dead by police on August 16. Production at the Lonmin-owned mine has been halted. Strikes and unrest have since spread to other mines in the region. Meanwhile, a local labour court has ruled that operators of the Lonmin mine can dismiss striking employees without facing legal consequences, the Sunday Star newspaper reported. "Basically the confirmation of a rule nisi - an interim order - by the court means that the order is final, and the employer can take action against the workers who fail to comply without any legal implications," an unnamed lawyer told the paper. Lonmin is the third largest platinum producer in the world.
