Fewer than 7 per cent of Lonmin's 28,000-strong South African workforce reported for duty at the strife-torn Marikana mine today as the company held talks with trade unions.
The number appearing for work has declined every day this week amid claims by the company of intimidation and threats.
Lonmin mining operations have been shut for almost three weeks after a pay dispute exploded into violence and 44 people died.
That total includes 34 striking workers killed in a hail of police bullets, stiffening the resolve of survivors to hold out until their demands are met.
"We have a 6.6 per cent average attendance across all shafts this morning," Lonmin admitted today.
The talks to end the impasse in Rustenburg resumed today after dragging into the night on Wednesday.
Solidarity trade union deputy secretary general Gideon du Plessis said discussions were to secure "a return to work agreement - with the aim of getting workers back to work on Monday after most funerals have been concluded."
Solidarity represents skilled workers and its members have not been on strike but all unions are taking part in the talks.
The 3,000 strikers who have brought things to a standstill are mostly rock driller operators.
But the prospects for peace were not enhanced when it emerged that, under the South African legal system's doctrine of "common purpose," all 270 workers detained after the police massacred 34 miners would be tried for murder.
No police have been charged because a commission of inquiry will investigate their actions separately, a spokesman claimed.
Six of the 270 workers remain in hospital after being wounded in the August 16 shootings and the other 264 workers are appearing in the Garankuwa magistrates court near the capital Pretoria.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Frank Lesenyego said that they would all face murder charges, including those who were unarmed or were at the back of the crowd.
"This is under common law, where people are charged with common purpose in a situation where there are suspects with weapons and they confront or attack the police, a shooting takes place and there are fatalities," he told the BBC.
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