The outstanding wage demand by the National Union of Mineworkers (Num) will increase the wage bill for South Africa’s major gold miners, AngloGold, Gold Fields and Harmony , the Chamber of Mines (CoM) said in a statement on Friday.
“Clearly, this is unaffordable,” the CoM said.
The three gold miners are facing a strike by Num members from Sunday July 27.
The two issues of contention between the Num and the CoM are wages and job grading.
On wages, CoM members are offering wage increases ranging between 9% and 12,9% for employees at the lower categories, with the higher increases aimed at achieving a minimum wage of R2 000.
An effective wage increase of between 16% and 28% for machine and rock drill operators has been offered by the CoM.
CoM members have offered a wage increase of between 9% and 10% for other employees while the NUM is looking for an across-the-board wage increase of 10%.
On job grading, the CoM has offered job grading based on job grading exercises for machine and rock drill operators. An offer was made to upgrade such employees to Grade 5, which would result in them receiving wage increases ranging between 16% and 28%.
“As these operators form a substantial portion of the workforce, this will have a substantial impact on the wage bill,” the CoM said.
“The Num is demanding an upgrade of all operators to Grade 6, irrespective of the outcome of objective job grading exercises. This demand amounts to an increase of 44% in the wages of the employees involved, and a 10% increase in the total wage bill,” the CoM said. – I-Net Bridge