BUCHIZYA MSETEKA AND OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Tuesday
STRIKING miners at the world’s top platinum producer Anglo American Platinum (Angloplat) will march on the firm’s headquarters on Wednesday to press for higher wages, their union said.
As the strike dragged into its 23rd day, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), which is representing strikers at Angloplat, served formal notice that it would march on the firm’s headquarters in central Johannesburg.
In a letter to Angloplat management, the NUM said the march was called as a protest against Angloplat’s refusal to provide a 10% wage increase and better working conditions.
”Management should avail itself to accept a memorandum from workers who will be marching between 11.30am and 12.30 pm on Wednesday,” the NUM said.
”The memorandum is all about the unhappiness workers are experiencing with regard to the unresolved dispute.”
Angloplat says less than 8000 workers remain on strike from up to 9 000 who downed tools on September 18.
Angloplat said the falling figures were a sign the strike was weakening after some workers returned to work when the company implemented a unilateral nine percent wage increase last week.
The NUM, which says 10000 workers are on strike, has offered to renew negotiations with the company to try to end the action, which has marginally affected production in the mines.
NUM General Secretary Gwede Mantashe said he wanted the talks to ”get management and the union out of positions we have locked ourselves into”.
Angloplat officials, who stressed the company’s nine percent offer was final and non-negotiable, said they were still waiting for Mantashe to initiate talks.
”We are still waiting for him to get in touch with us,” Angloplat spokesman Mike Mtakati said.
Angloplat officials say output is running at between 75 and 80% of capacity. But the key export-led smelter and refineries were still operating at 100% due to stockpiles.
Angloplat recently reported a doubling in interim earnings to R2.611bn, led by surging world platinum group metal prices and a weaker rand.
Shares in Angloplat were up 100 cents, or 0.38%, at R266 on the Johannesburg bourse at 1029 GMT. – Reuters