Miners from a rival union hold hundreds of colleagues underground at a gold mine in South Africa

By GERALD IMRAY and MOGOMOTSI MAGOME
Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The head of a gold mine in South Africa says a group of miners from an unregistered, rival union are holding hundreds of colleagues underground for the second day over a union dispute. He said on Tuesday that some 15 miners are believed to have been injured in scuffles. Details were sketchy and there were conflicting statements about what happened. Jon Hericourt, the CEO of the New Kleynfontein Gold Mine, says the incident erupted early on Monday when miners from the unregistered union prevented hundreds of others from leaving after their night shift at the Modder East mine in Springs, east of Johannesburg. The rival union demands to be the only one representing miners at Modder East.