BL Premium reports that there seems to be no end in sight to the protracted strike action at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold operations over wage increases.

Meanwhile, the precious metals producer has warned that should industrial action continue until the end of April, striking employees would have lost all value they could have gained from a wage increase. The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), which jointly represent about 25,000 of the 31,000 employees at Sibanye’s gold operations, downed tools on 9 March in support of their demand for above-inflation wage increases. Striking employees, who have been locked out since 10 March, have lost about R790m in wages. Amcu’s Jimmy Gama advised on Tuesday that the industrial action was showing no signs of abetting. “We are still moving ahead with the strike. There is no agreement between parties yet, so the strike continues,” Gama stated. The NUM’s Livhuwani Mammburu said: “The strike continues as usual… Our members are on the ground, they are steadfast, they want a R1,000 wage increase for lowest-paid workers and a 6% increase for artisans, miners and officials.” The two unions announced last week that they planned to give Sibanye notice to allow their members in the group’s platinum group metals (PGM) operations to join their striking gold counterparts as a means to intensify their wage strike. “That is still part of the plan,” said Gama. Sibanye has however said it had not yet received notification of any “secondary strike” at its PGM operations and that it would “take appropriate legal action in the event that this is given”.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)

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