Unions and management have agreed on wage increases at the Northam Platinum mine in Limpopo, while a deadlock continued at two other large platinum mines near Rustenburg on Thursday.
Lower level workers at Northam would get an 8,5% increase, middle level 8,25%, and higher level workers 8%, National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) general secretary Archie Palane said.
Palane, who has been negotiating on behalf of miners at all three mines, said resolution was reached very swiftly once discussions resumed on Tuesday.
There had been a break in the negotiations as a sign of respect for the nine workers who died in a fire at the mine on September 20.
”The workers accepted the offer yesterday [Wednesday], it is quite a reasonable offer, taking into account that Northam is a struggling mine,” said Palane.
Meanwhile, Palane said talks with Impala Platinum (Implats) management deadlocked on Wednesday night.
”We have revised our demands to 7,5% for higher categories, and 8,5% at the lower level, but they still were not willing to revise their stance,” he said.
However, Implats spokesman Humphrey Oliphant was less negative. He said unions and management were moving ”inch by inch” towards a resolution. The unions demands were still too high, considering the inflation rate [CPIX — the consumer price index excluding mortgage costs — was 3,7% in August], said Oliphant.
Talks at Implats would continue when Num members had finished their negotiations at Anglo Platinum (Amplats) on Thursday, said Oliphant.
Both unions and management were positive about the talks at Amplats: ”There is huge progress, we are very confident that the settlement is imminent,” said Amplats spokesman Mike Mtakathi.
Palane also said he saw signs that ”we may get resolution”. – Sapa