While a strike by 75% of South Africa’s gold miners continues, gold miner AngloGold Ashanti on Monday announced a higher wage increase for its employees.
The company is now offering a 6,5% increase for its upper-level workers and 5,25% for miners, artisans and officials, company spokesperson Shelagh Blackman said.
In addition to the wage offer, the company also offers to raise, incrementally, the current living out/accommodation allowance to R1 000 by the end of 2006.
Chief executive Bobby Godsell said: ”We are prepared to work hard to reach a settlement, but this settlement must be responsible in relation to current levels of inflation and costs.”
The offer is separate from the Chamber of Mines’ 5% raise for miners and 4,5% for higher-ups.
Western Areas, the owner of the South Deep mine, has also made the improved offer to its workers.
About 80 000 mineworkers belonging to the National Union of Mineworkers walked off the job on Sunday at 6pm, the first strike in the industry since 1987.
United Association of South Africa (Uasa) official Tim Kruger said the union needs to take the new offer to its 16 000 members. Uasa will know by Friday whether it accepts the offer, he said.
”I assume it won’t be long before the other two [Harmony and Gold Fields] come up with the same offer,” Kruger said.
Despite the improved offer, a strike by about 10 000 miners belonging to trade union Solidarity will go ahead at midnight on Monday.
The union is demanding an increase of between 7% and 8% for its members, depending on their posts.
”This offer is not acceptable for us; it’s still short of worker’s inflation, which is at 5,7%. We are waiting for a better offer,” Solidarity spokesperson Reint Dykema said.
Solidarity does not find it surprising that the members of the Chamber of Mines have ”broken ranks”.
”The Chamber of Mines is trying to reach the same agreement for a world-class gold producer, such as Anglo, as for a marginal mining group like Harmony,” Dykema said.
Solidarity members at Harmony’s Merriespruit one and three, Brand three, Unisel and St Helena shafts in the Free State will not go on strike because these mines are marginal and have been given three months to return to profitability.
Solidarity members employed as officials with Harmony will also not take part in the strike, in terms of an earlier wage agreement that precludes strikes, Dykema said. — Sapa