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Thursday, June 18, 2009.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Shannon O'Donnell.

Making headlines today:

Shareholders in Vancouver-based miner Rockwell Diamonds have voted down a proposal by Pala Investments Holdings to remove the board of directors.

Of the votes cast, about 57% were against removing the current directors. Pala itself owns just under 20% of the company.

Shareholders also opposed a proposal by Pala that Rockwell's shareholder rights plan be scrapped, and voted against Pala being reimbursed for the costs of the meeting, which it requisitioned in April.

Facilitation in the Chamber of Mines' 2009 gold wage negotiations with labour unions started on Wednesday, with Solidarity warning that a strike wouldn't be good for the gold industry's image.

Labour unions demanding a 15% wage increase, last week warned of a potential strike in the gold sector. This was after wage negotiations had deadlocked over a 7% offer from gold companies.

At the time, Solidarity spokesperson Reint Dykema said that it had received a 7% wage increase offer from AngloGold Ashanti and GoldFields. Meanwhile, Harmony Gold had indicated that it would still hold bilateral talks with trade unions over a potential higher offer.

Solidarity reported that two commissioners from the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration would facilitate the process.

Dykema said that the parties would meet again at the CCMA on June 29.

Also making headlines:

Fertiliser product producer Potash Corporation cuts more output.
Cameco restarts production of uranium hexafluoride at its Port Hope conversion facility.
Toronto-based Centerra Gold settles a labour dispute with the trade union at its Boroo mine, in Mongolia.
And, shares in First Uranium decline after a gloomy update.

That's a round up of news making headlines today. For more on these and other stories please visit miningweekly.com.