Member Info for LUCAN

It will take a day or two to ratify and vote on any agreement, hence the dispute has already cost us effectively two weeks production. Every extra day adds to that.
The fact is, the company is rolling in money. We can well afford to be generous. What we can NOT afford is an unresolved dispute dragging on, leaving anger and bitterness in its wake.
So let's settle, soon.

Understandable reluctance to really believe it, but this looks like the real thing.

I am amazed at the attitude of certain well respected posters. Sacking strikers, or ring leaders, would be a disaster. Have you no sense of history?
Obviously I'm another bleeding heart liberal. Sorry.

Steady on. Impressive though it is, it's not an achievement. It's a market price. We did nothing to achieve it.

Not a good situation, however you look at it.
Suspect someone will be found to volunteer for blame, otherwise the litigation will be horrendous.

Ophidian's suggestion sounds good to me (11.43). We can certainly afford some measured generosity, even if it means stretching the rule book. It will become very unpleasant if not settled soon.

Certainly not. There is a milestone on the horizon, they can tough it out.

Nick, it's unofficial and unprotected. Doesn't mean it's illegal.

Urgent to resolve this dispute on reasonable terms before someone is seriously hurt or worse.
If it continues, the situation is likely to become a major news/media story worldwide, which will do us no good at all. Surprised it hasn't happened already.

These are very cheap, if anyone has any cash to spare. They are of course depressed by fear of a placing, but personally I don't think there will be one for the time being.

I suspect that most people posting here have little personal experience of how unions and disputes actually work.
Yachtie's scenario sounds plausible to me. The workers went out without official union support because they felt something they were owed had not been delivered. Undertakings were given and they went back, but a few weeks later they felt the undertakings had not been delivered. So they went out again. This time they intend to stay out until they are sure of delivery. All this is par for the course. They can certainly hold out for a week or two, and they can see the stoppage is hurting the company. There is of course no question of sacking the strikers, that would be armageddon. Remember this is South Africa. The most positive thing to my mind is that apparently they want to hear from FM - i.e. they have some degree of faith in him more than other managers.

While we don't know for sure, it is reasonable to conclude that SAR will qualify for a substantial milestone by December. If that is so, they should be able to avoid a placing in the meantime at what would be a punitive price. If they are not presenting at conferences in the short term, that is possibly an economy measure - attendance and presenting costs money, and those who need to know should be well enough informed by now. Probably none of that will help the SP in the short term, but in fact the drop is unwarranted. IMO.

Only 30% of the eggs, but it's still a lot, I agree.
Used to be much more widely spread, but rightly or wrongly this seemed a better bet than most.

Also, before you turn up your nose at £100m, have a look at our current capitalisation - about a fifth of that.
£100m would give me a half decent pension, and I assure you it would be very welcome.
I just hope they hurry up. For technical reasons I have to crystallise my pension by about March, and I'd hate to see SAR sign a big deal in April.

The problem is, and always has been, Tim and partner are motivated by the science, not the cash. They are well enough paid and will have pensions whatever happens. They regard investors as a necessary nuisance, and will be inclined to go for whatever deal seems best for the science.

In case of any misunderstanding, I should have made it clear earlier that 'FM's 7 million bonus' refers to an award of 7 million shares, not 7 million in money.

I've been here for a long time, Sanchez. I generally don't post unless I think I have something to say.

I've been here for a long time, S

I think we should not be surprised if this takes a little while to resolve.<br />It is said to be an 'unprotected' dispute, which I presume means unofficial. It follows that the union representatives may not be in a position to deliver an agreement. There may be a political element - plenty of people in SA are hostile to mining companies, especially those seen as foreign owned. FM's 7 million bonus may also be a factor - no matter how well earned, it will be seen as an indication that there is plenty of money available..
The priority now is to resolve the dispute on a basis that will guarantee continued production and goodwill in future. If this takes a week, so be it, though the SP will suffer short term.

No, Notalot, that's credulity. Anyway it's a nice word, should mean something.