About 1 300 members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) again downed tools at Samancor Chrome’s Mpumalanga and North West mines after negotiations deadlocked, a spokesperson said on Monday.
NUM deputy secretary Archie Palane said workers are protesting the company’s refusal to upgrade certain positions that had been evaluated as part of the 2003/04 wage agreements.
Palane said experts were appointed to perform the evaluation and a report was produced, but the union feels it failed to address the concerns of workers fully.
”During our wage discussions, the company agreed to upgrade positions such as those of assistant driller, attendant crusher, belt attendant, construction attendant, timber installer and winch operator,” said Palane.
”But now it wants to implement the report we have rejected and has refused to upgrade all positions, including those we had agreed on.”
He said workers have vowed to continue with the strike, which started on Thursday last week, until their demands have been met.
Palane said the union is still to calculate how much the strike is costing the company.
Samancor Chrome, a leading producer of chrome ore and ferrochrome, said it would issue a statement later in the day. — Sapa