About five thousand workers, covering seven shafts, at world number five gold miner Harmony’s mines in the Free State and Klerksdorp went on strike on Wednesday over wage increases.
The National Union of Mineworkers said the strike began with the late night shift at 9pm.
The union added that the strike follows a lengthy process of wage negotiations that began as far back as October 23. Having failed to reach agreement on a wage increase the matter was brought before the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration on February 4, where the union was granted the right to strike.
Harmony chief operating officer Andre Wilkens said that the company’s management was negotiating with the union on their demands.
”Previously the workers at Armgold shafts, which now fall under Harmony, used to do their wage negotiations at these shafts, and now we have to do it,” Wilkens said.
He added that Harmony was confident that a solution would be found soon as the company’s offer was in line with the Chamber of Mines wage offer in last year’s wage negotiations.
”One has to consider what is happening in the mining industry and I think our offer is in line with the industry’s offer,” Wilkens said.
The union is demanding a 10% salary increase while the company is offering 9%.
NUM said it seemed odd that Harmony would want these workers to accept a lower increase compared to the one granted to all their other employees under the 2003/2005 Chamber of Mines Collective Bargaining Agreement.
”Such an approach can only be read as unfair and unjust within this context. We are committed to continue striking until this company gives us the 10% increase we want, which they gave to our co-workers at the Chamber. But we are still prepared to talk to the employer like we did yesterday”, NUM branch chairperson at ARM Mafestile Mntumni said. – Sapa