Uasa tables its demand for wages
UASA, which represents 6 percent of the gold mining sector’s organised labour, had submitted a demand to the Chamber of Mines for a R2 500 monthly wage increase for entry-level workers in a bid to close the wage gap, it said yesterday.
The Chamber of Mines represents local gold mining companies AngloGold Ashanti, Evander Gold Mines, Harmony Gold, Sibanye Gold and Village Main Reef in these wage talks.
Uasa’s divisional manager Franz Stehring said that the union aimed at a R2 500 increase for entry-level employees in the first year, and R1 000 monthly increase in the second year, if a two-year agreement could be reached.
He said for miners, artisans and officials, Uasa was looking at a 15 percent increase in year one, and an 11 percent increase in year two.
“Uasa also wants a variable increase that can be linked to either productivity, or the gold price, and which can take the form of a single-term or multi- year agreement,” said Stehring.
“If it gets to a point where higher categories sacrifice their salaries so be it.”
Uasa further wants housing allowances to be increased by R2 000 to R5 000 a month, and for the retirement age to be raised from 60 to 63.
Stakes are high in the gold wage negotiations that began early this month as the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), the majority union in the sector, and its bitter rival the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) have demanded double-digit increases.
Amcu has demanded underground entry-level wages to increase to R12 500 a month and the NUM wanted underground wages to rise to R10 500 a month across all mining houses from the current R5 700 monthly wage.
The talks have been overshadowed by restructuring and shedding of jobs as gold mines struggle with soft commodity prices and rising costs.
Mineral Resources Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi last month announced that the department would set up a task team to find solutions to the job losses in the mining industry.
The Department of Mineral Resources has said 19 companies in the gold, platinum and diamond sectors are planning to cut jobs.
Stehring said that the union had further demanded that the mining companies cover 50 percent of medical expenses post-retirement, even though there were currently no postretirement medical benefits.
It wants a minimum R42 500 medical incapacity payout, which is currently sitting at R40 000.
Stehring said these were Uasa’s best-case scenario demands, and represented the starting point of negotiations.
“We will have to make sacrifices and concessions here and there as the negotiations continue. These are our maximum demands, but, for obvious reasons, we cannot share what our minimum requirements are,” Stehring said.