2014 South African platinum strike
[2] The offer was quickly endorsed by some workers and AMCU leader Joseph Mathunjwa publicly stated a deal was imminent the following day.The union also requested the platinum companies not pursue criminal charges against workers suspected of violence during the strike.In a joint statement, the platinum companies said the new demands would cost an additional 1 billion rand and were impossible to meet.[citation needed] The mining companies did not agree to avoid future job cuts as they sought to operate more efficiently.[citation needed] By the time a deal was reached, the strike had become the longest and most expensive in South Africa history.[7] The GDP of South Africa contracted in the first quarter of 2014, pulled down by the steepest drop in mining production (25% of which 19% was directly attributable to the strike) in 50 years.[7] The nationwide impact of the strike led to calls for laws to give the government or court system "strike-breaking" powers.[7] The disaster relief charity Gift of the Givers had spent 3.4 million rand on food parcels and medical care for the strikers by early June.[12] The strike also caused a substantial increase in the number of stray animals in Rustenburg as people abandoned pets they could no longer afford to feed.[14] It called the strike the most significant non-African National Congress action to help black people since the fall of apartheid.[14] Industry analysts cautioned that further difficulty was likely as the platinum companies would need to cut the work force to regain profitability.It argued that the industry should take a more active role in managing the socio-economic issues affecting its workforces, but said the government needed to use tax money to help as well.