Company gives workers extra day to return after three-quarters refuse to return to mine where 44 were killed by police last week

Lonmin has given its striking miners one more day to return to work before it says it will follow through with its threat to sack them.

The London-listed company, which is still reeling from the deaths of 34 of its workers in the worst police violence since the end of apartheid, said 30% of its 28,000 strong workforce reported for duty on Monday.

Lonmin said it would give the striking workers until Tuesday to report for duty before dismissing them. “Those illegal strikers who did not return to work this morning will not be dismissed and have been allowed an extra day in light of the tragic events of last week,” the company said in a statement.

Local media reports suggested most of the striking miners will continue to refuse to attend work. Miner Kaizer Madiba told the South African Times newspaper: “People have died already so we have nothing more to lose

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