Mining Weekly reports that the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) has accepted, in principle, a proposed settlement agreement advanced by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) in an attempt to resolve the wage dispute between the union and Sibanye-Stillwater.  

The union has been on a protracted wage strike at the miner’s gold operations since 21 November.  The CCMA proposed a payment of R5,700, coupled with other benefits as contained in a previous settlement agreement.  These include a salary advance of R5,000, debt consolidation, non-deductions of employer contributions to benefits, death benefits of employees who passed on during the strike, as well as disciplinary issues.  While Amcu members previously indicated acceptance of the other issues covered, up to now they had insisted on a payment of R9,300.  At a meeting facilitated by the CCMA on Tuesday, Amcu communicated its in-principle acceptance of the proposed settlement, emphasising that the R5,700 should be split over two years of the wage agreement term, which is three years in total, as well as back-pay for the first year of the term.  Even though Sibanye has not accepted the CCMA proposal Amcu is positive that this will create the necessary momentum to see a speedy resolution to the wage dispute.

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