Mail & Guardian reports that SA platinum miners and unions are entering crucial wage talks over a multiyear pay deal in June and the volatility is already rearing its head.
According to Sibanye-Stillwater boss Neal Froneman, the ongoing strike at the producer’s gold mines is being used as leverage by unions for the upcoming wage negotiations at its platinum operations. Analyst Peter Major commented: “The platinum sector is making decent money compared to the gold sector and I think the unions know that. The miners are trying to tell the unions that the current platinum prices are not normal. Miners refuse to get locked into high wages that are unjustified by productivity. Unions need to be able to justify their pay increase … it will be tense.” The Marikana strikers back in 2012 demanded a basic wage of R12 500. With the current wage talks, mineworkers are demanding up to R20 000. The talks will be more intense given Sibanye-Stillwater’s financial reports, which show it earned more than R300-million in 2021. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is already negotiating with Anglo Platinum and is demanding a 10% wage increase. The union said it has rejected the 7.5% offer by Anglo Platinum. Striking mineworkers stormed the stage earlier this month on Workers’ Day when President Cyril Ramaphosa tried to give a speech in Rustenburg. While subsequently giving an address at Anglo’s launch of its new hydrogen-fuelled haulage truck, Ramaphosa said: “There are companies who relate to trade unions with hostility; that should be a thing of the past. As stakeholders we must work together and not hold on to dustbin history. They should work together, whether discussing environmental issues or wage matters.”
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Anathi Madubela at Mail & Guardian (subscriber access only)
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