S. AFRICAN UNION OBJECTS TO PLANNED MATTHEY MOVE
  A South African trade union is in
  dispute with a subsidiary of Britain's Johnson Matthey Plc over
  the company's proposal to move a platinum refinery near
  Johannesburg to a black tribal homeland.
      The 30,000-member mainly black Chemical Workers Industrial
  Union said it fears the planned move to the Bophuthatswana
  homeland, where South African unions are not recognised, could
  lead to job losses and affect wages.
      A mass dismissal last year at the Impala Platinum Holdings
  Ltd &lt;IPLA.J> mines in the tribal homeland sent world platinum
  prices rocketing.
  
      The union said talks with management over the proposed move
  had broken down. It said an earlier ballot of refinery workers
  showed that most favoured striking over the move but added that
  no final decision had been taken on strike action.
      The refinery processes all platinum metals of Rustenburg
  Platinum Holdings Ltd, the world's largest platinum producer.
      It is owned by Matthey Rustenburg Ltd, a joint-subsidiary
  of Johnson Matthey and Rustenburg which, in turn, is owned by
  mining group Johannesburg Consolidated Investment Co Ltd.
  

