Harmony Gold mine said on Thursday night that it was hoping to meet with the National Union of Mineworkers (Num) on Friday to resolve a wage negotiations deadlock.
Mine spokesperson Ferdi Dippenaar said that the company was ”willing to meet with the union at any time and we hope to meet on Friday to see if we can negotiate the way through for this one and resolve the issue”.
The decision to negotiate follows a strike by about 5 000 workers at Harmony Gold mines in the Free State and the North West on Wednesday night after failed wage talks.
Union spokesperson Moferefere Lekorotsoana said earlier on Wednesday that the strike, which began with the 9pm shift, came after ”a lengthy process of wage negotiations that started as far back as October 23, 2003”.
The union is demanding a 10% salary increase, while the company is offering nine percent.
Lekorotsoana said having failed to reach agreement on the wage increase, the matter was brought before the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) on February 4, where the union was granted the right to strike.
”It seems 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.”
He said the union was committed to continue striking until Harmony gave its members the 10% wage hike.
”But we are still prepared to talk to the employer like we did yesterday Wednesday),” said Mafestile Mntumni, the union’s branch chairman at Harmony.
He said the affected shafts contributed about five percent to Harmony’s production base of some four million ounces per year. – Sapa