SAfrica's Gold Fields mine hit by Cosatu strike

JOHANNESBURG, July 16 (Reuters) - South Africa's Gold Fields (GFIJ.J) said on Wednesday that its Beatrix mine in the country's Free State province had been hit by a stay away by mineworkers protesting over rising electricity prices.

Two of Beatrix's three shafts had been hit by absenteeism, with only 10 percent of workers attending, while the other shaft ran smoothly, Daniel Thole, a spokesman for the company said.

The mine produces some 46 kg of gold per day, but it was unclear how much output would be lost owing to the stay away.

Anglo American Plc's (AAL.L)(AGLJ.J) South African coal unit reported varying degree of absenteeism at its eight coal mines in the Mpumalanga province due to the strike, but Johannesburg-based spokesman Pranill Ramchander added that all the operations were so far running smoothly.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), the biggest affiliate of the labour federation Cosatu, has vowed to take part in the series of rolling strikes called by the federation this month to protest against a jump in food and fuel prices. (Reporting by James Macharia)