Wage negotiations between the National Union of Mineworkers (Num) and junior gold miner Durban Roodepoort Deep (DRD) on Monday collapsed and Num has declared a dispute with the company.
The parties have failed to reach agreement, Num said in a statement, on the following issues:
Retirement funds — an increase in the funeral cover from R4 000 to R10 000;
Annual leave of 30 days;
Housing — removal of discrimination in housing allocations and the minimum of R1 200 as a living out allowance;
Comprehensive healthcare scheme to cover for mineworkers and their dependants;
Integration of bargaining units;
Job grading and wages — DRD is at present offering 2% and 4% for the different operations.
The union and the company have an in principle agreement on the following areas:
Women in mining — in relation to a six-month, fully paid, maternity leave linked with seven paid days of compassionate leave;
Outsourcing — that tenders will be required to provide benefits similar to those offered by the company;
A bargaining council for the mining industry.
“It is significant that DRD agreed to these issues when other mining houses, especially the big ones, have showed almost reactionary resistance to them — in particular the bargaining council,” Num said.
“We would hope that the process of having third party facilitation helps both parties to find each other on the outstanding matters,” it added. – I-Net Bridge