The General-Secretary of South Africa’s National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) says members of the group are set to stage walkouts over layoffs and living conditions.

On Monday, Frans Baleni said that the industrial action will begin on Tuesday.

“The strike ignited because the employers failed to respond to the reasonable demands submitted by the National Union of Mineworkers on behalf of its workers, among others, it is the recognition of the difficult underground environment, it cannot be compared with the hospitality industry,” he said.

“What the employers are offering is six percent and 6.5 percent, which is below the inflation in some instances. Our members are saying even if we do not strike, we are still going to be laid-off, so there is no point in not fighting for a living wage rather than say let us give in,” Baleni added.

Baleni made the remarks after the world’s biggest platinum producer, Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), announced that it would cut thousands of jobs in South Africa to save approximately USD 400 million annually.

South Africa's mining sector has been paralyzed by a series of wildcat strikes over miners' low pay since August, 2012. Dozens of people have so far been killed in the strike-related violence.

In February 2013, South African security guards shot dead mineworkers outside Amplats Siphumelele mine in the northwestern city of Rustenburg following a clash between rival union factions.

In June, South African President Jacob Zuma called for dialogue among all stakeholders in the mining sector, saying, “All stakeholders, government, management in the mining sector, trade union movement in particular, should talk and find a way to deal with this matter.”

The South African president went on to say that the stakeholders have the capacity to discuss and agree about the problems, including strikes and deadly clashes faced by the mining industry.