Gold mining wage talks begin with unions’ demands varying

WAGE negotiations in the gold mining sector resume today, with three days set aside for the negotiations.

Representatives of AngloGold Ashanti, Evander Gold Mines, Harmony, Sibanye Gold and Village Main Reef earlier this month met the Association of Mining and Construction Workers Union (Amcu), the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Solidarity and Uasa to discuss the approach to the 2015 wage negotiations and the process to be followed.

The gold producers proposed that talks be held at a venue big enough for both large plenary and focused meetings – not provided for in the Chamber of Mines’ building – as well as an independent chairperson.

“These proposals were accepted by all four unions. Gold wage negotiations commence on June 22, and are scheduled for three days,” said Chamber of Mines’ chief negotiator Elize Strydom.

Last month trade union Solidarity said it would demand a 12 percent increase and wanted a review on the retirement age.

Platinum deal

Amcu, which waged a fivemonth long strike in the platinum mining belt last year, demanded R12 500 then and is demanding the same now in the gold sector.

The platinum strike ended on June 24 last year when the union agreed to a three-year settlement that would increase workers’ salaries by R1 000 in the first two years and R950 in the third year.

Uasa said it had been mandated to move away from the traditional “basket of items” approach because of the huge inequalities and historical discrepancies in the mining industry.

“Our members at entry level would like to see these addressed, hence they are resistant against percentage pay increases,” said union spokesman Andre Venter.

The NUM was reportedly demanding an entry-level basic pay of R10 500.

The NUM concluded a separate wage agreement with Goldfields in April because South Deep Mine is highly mechanised and has a different skills base.

Workers in the lowestpaid category will receive increases of 21.46 percent in the first year, 14.76 percent in the second year and 12.97 percent in the third year. Other categories will get 8 percent in the first two years of the agreement and 9 percent in the third year.

Other agreements involved basic wages for entrylevel workers in all three years, and housing allowances for each year. – ANA