S Africa's Gold 1mine sacks more than 1400 workers

South Africa's Gold One mining firm sacked 1,435 people, more than 75 percent of its workforce at one facility on Tuesday, after a week-long illegal strike. "The company dismissed approximately 1,435 of the total 1,900 employees at its Ezulwini Operation," the firm said in a statement. Amid rising anger at South Africa's failure to tackle vast income gaps that plague the country 18 years after the end of Apartheid, miners, truckers and other workers have downed tools demanding higher pay. The resulting standoff between unions and owners has resulted in a series of mass-sackings. Last week mining powerhouse Anglo American announced it had sacked 12,000 workers at its platinum mine in Rustenburg, South Africa. Gold One said problems at is Ezulwini mine, just outside Johannesburg, began on October 1 when "a large number of employees at Ezulwini failed to report for work." Striking workers had been asked to appear at disciplinary hearings on the October 8. Gold One -- a mid-sized mining group partially owned by the China-Africa Development Fund -- said the workers have until Thursday to appeal their dismissal. "Dismissed employees have been informed of their right to appeal their dismissal." "The South African Police Service is maintaining a strong presence at the operation to ensure that there are no acts of intimidation or violence. Currently only essential services are continuing."