Rustenburg - Amcu has put a strike at Lonmin's platinum mine in Marikana on hold, the union said on Thursday.

"Yes, we have delayed that [strike]. We are talking to the company," Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) general secretary Jeff Mphahlele said.

He confirmed the union would wait for a meeting between Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe and key players in the mining industry on Friday.

Reports last week said Amcu would serve notice of intention to strike over an organisational rights dispute between itself and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).

Amcu said last Thursday its members voted in favour of a strike. At the time, Amcu treasurer Jimmy Gama said: "We wrote a letter requesting a meeting on Monday in a bid to avoid a strike. If we do not have an agreement by Tuesday, we will serve the company with a 48-hour notice to go on strike."

Last month, Amcu members went on a two-day strike, reportedly because the NUM would not vacate a union office. The unprotected strike ended on May 15 after Lonmin obtained a court interdict.

Forty-four people were killed during unrest at Lonmin's mine in Marikana, North West, in August. Police shot dead 34 striking mineworkers on August 16. Ten people, including two police officers and two security guards, were killed in the preceding week.

Sapa