Unions reject gold producers’ salary offer

UNIONS yesterday rejected the revised three-year wage offers of up to 7.2 percent salary increases made by South African gold producers. This was as the fourth round of wage negotiations between four unions – the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Solidarity and Uasa – and gold mining companies continued yesterday. Unions are demanding a R9 500 salary for above the surface employees and R10 500 for entry level underground staff over and above a housing allowance of R5 000. Gold producers AngloGold Ashanti, Harmony, Sibanye-Stillwater and Village Main Reef tabled offers ranging from 6 percent to 7.2 percent for category 4 underground employees, and 3.5 percent and 4.5 percent increases for miners, artisans and officials, saying that the industry believed that these were responsible and sound offers. Chief negotiator on behalf of the gold producers, Motsamai Motlhamme, reiterated that the industry was faced with a number of challenges, including a stagnant gold price, rising costs and falling profitability. “These challenges have had a significant impact not only on sustainability of the gold sector, but on the mining industry as a whole.” – African News Agency (ANA)