The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Wednesday confirmed that both gold producers Harmony Gold and Gold Fields have made individual offers to the unions.
NUM spokesperson Moferere Lekorotsoana said the union is not in a position to give details of the individual offers.
”I can confirm that both Harmony and Gold Fields have made improved offers to the unions and we will be meeting with them later this afternoon for further discussions,” Lekorotsoana said.
He added that the two mining groups have moved away from the Chamber of Mines’ offer.
The chamber is proposing an increase of 4,5% for higher-level employees and 5% for miners.
”We are in a very sensitive and delicate stage, so I am not in a position to tell you how much these individuals miners are offering because they [the offers] are different and these groups are trying to get a settlement,” he added.
The gold-mining strike — the first in 18 years — is into its fourth day.
The NUM’s 80 000 members embarked on the strike on Sunday. Trade union Solidarity’s 10 000 members followed suit on Monday at midnight.
Meanwhile, AngloGold Ashanti spokesperson Alan Fine said underground operations and production have come to a complete halt, with only mine plants doing the processing.
Fine added that the group is continuing wage discussions with the unions after making an individual offer.
This came after mining groups AngloGold Ashanti and the South Deep joint venture broke ranks by making individual offers to the various trade unions.
The offer ranged from 5,25% for miners, tradesmen and officials; 6% for workers in categories five to eight and 6,5% for category three to four workers.
In addition to the wage offer, the company also offered to raise, incrementally, the current living out/accommodation allowance to R1 000 by the end of next year.
Both the NUM and Solidarity rejected the offer.
”As far as we are concerned, negotiations will continue on Wednesday in an effort to get a resolution,” Fine said.
”There were reported incidents of violence, but nothing has been done about it. They seem pretty small, though,” Fine said.
Chamber has ‘disintegrated’
Solidarity spokesperson Reint Dykema said the union has asked the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration to intervene in an attempt to resolve the dispute after the Chamber of Mines ”disintegrated”.
”The chamber has disintegrated with the strike. Every individual company is making its own informal offer. We started to negotiate under the chamber and now that we want to find a solution, the chamber has disappeared,” Dykema said.
He said this places the union in an ”almost impossible” negotiating position.
”We were convinced that the parties were close to an agreement, but with whom must the unions negotiate now?”
He said that while the union’s demands are aligned, Solidarity has not been presented with any new offers.
”We don’t know about it.”
The United Association of South Africa (Uasa) said its 16 000 members — mainly officials and artisans and others in ”strategically important positions” — are all still reporting for work.
The union will know by Friday whether to join the strike or not, the general manager for the union’s mineral division, Tim Kruger, said.
Kruger confirmed that the union has received a new wage increase offer from Harmony Gold.
”Our formal demand is still 12%, but quite honestly that’s definitely not our bottom line. The offer that’s on the table at the moment is quite close to what’s responsible and fair.
”We might not even embark on a strike, it’s a possibility.” — Sapa, I-Net Bridge