Bloomberg writes that the leader of SA's biggest union in the platinum industry, which called the longest-ever platinum-mining strike and which self-identifies as "militant", the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union’s (Amcu’s) president Joseph Mathunjwa is sounding rather diplomatic.
Laying out the union's demands in the upcoming platinum pay talks, Mathunjwa on Friday stopped short of his usual fiery rhetoric. "It's a negotiation," he said, after being asked what would happen if producers refused to meet Amcu’s minimum wage requirement. One possible reason for the change in tone is that Amcu was forced earlier this year to call off a five-month pay strike at Sibanye Gold with little to show for it. Still, Mathunjwa's not ruling out a fight with the platinum miners either. "Because there's inequality, the only recourse that we have is a right to strike," he stated. The union has demanded wage increases of as much as 48% from producers, setting the stage for a tough fight in upcoming pay talks. And while Friday's demand looks high, it's not necessarily a harbinger of the final outcome as South African unions often start off with big asks. In the last wage round, Amcu accepted an increase of 12.5% for the lowest-paid workers, after initially demanding a 47% increment.
- Read the full original of Paul Burkhardt’s report on the above story at Fin24
- Read too, Amcu seeks basic wage of R17,000 for members in platinum sector, at Mining Weekly
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