City Press reports that despite settling on similar terms to rival unions at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold mines, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union’s (Amcu’s) Joseph Mathunjwa has insisted that their protracted wage strike was more about combating legacy than counting costs.
At a mass meeting of members held last week to receive an update on talks with mine management – almost five months since Amcu members at the gold mines had received a salary – the mood was anything but jovial. An hour into his address, Mathunjwa finally announced that Sibanye had settled. The deal was that workers would be getting free bus rides back to work from their far-flung homes after the Easter weekend, courtesy of Sibanye; they would get a R4,000 once-off payment and an optional R5,000 interest-free loan from the company, to be repaid over 12 months. With roaring excitement from the crowd over the R4,000 ex gratia payment, Mathunjwa asked: “Should we sign?” – to which the crowd gave an overwhelming thumbs up. But the catch was that the wage agreement offer that had been put on the table five months ago had not changed as the company had not budged. Speaking after the signing, Mathunjwa claimed the deal was a win for both parties. “There were three years signed. The first year is almost done. Remember, we were fighting for the difference. The ex gratia pays for the second year and the other [amount] taps into the third year,” he stated. Mathunjwa further commented: “We must not be apologetic because we fight a legacy, because our government is failing us. These mines are still paying workers according to the structure of the old Transvaal chamber of mines. It is a legacy issue; that is why they prolong. They will protect it at any cost.” But, although Mathunjwa maintained that it was a “win-win deal”, the details of the agreement suggested a different narrative.
Read the full original of Lesetja Malope’s informative report at City Press
Read too, Business Day’s editorial, ‘Reality check bites Amcu leadership’, at BusinessLive
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page