BusinessLive reports that the strike at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold operations, which has cost workers more than R1bn and deprived the company of the chance to take advantage of the boom in prices, will enter its tenth week on Wednesday after the latest attempt at talks failed.

The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) downed tools on 9 March, demanding an increase of R1,000 a month for three years, which amounts to a 9.8% rise in the first year, 8.8% in the second year and 8.2% in the third year for entry-level workers. Sibanye has tabled a final offer of R850, which includes an increase of R50 in the living-out allowance. The offer translates to an increase of 7.8% in basic wages in the first year, 7.2% in the second, followed by 6.8% in the third year. The parties met in Boksburg on Tuesday to try to resolve the impasse. Amcu general secretary Jeff Mphahlele reported that there was “no common ground that we can reach now”. NUM general secretary William Mabapa said: “For now we are still in discussions. Our mandate is a R1,000 increase [per month] for three years.” He said the employer was unwilling to make any compromises: “They are still tabling the same offer.” The two unions, which jointly represent about 25,000 of the 31,000 employees at Sibanye’s gold operations, have hit out at CEO Neal Froneman’s R300m pay in 2021. He has pointed to the company’s performance to justify it.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive

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