South African gold mining company Gold Fields has fired 8,100 workers for striking. About 15,000 workers have been participating in strikes since August. The company said that they did not fire workers who returned to the job. The fired miners were given 24 hours to appeal the decision, and many had lined up to do so. Workers at the mine, like many in south Africa, are striking over higher pay. Another mining company fired about 12,000 of its miners last week.
See "8,100 South African mine workers fired", Nkepile Mabuse, CNN, October 23, 2012