Members of the trade union Solidarity on Monday joined striking National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) members at mining group Kumba. Solidarity held mandate meetings with its members earlier in the day and a salary offer received from Kumba on Friday was rejected.
“Kumba announced prematurely over the weekend that Solidarity members had accepted the new offer. This was oil on the fire for workers at Grootegeluk and Sishen. They rejected the offer and joined the NUM strike,” said Solidarity spokesperson Reint Dykema in a statement.
“The trade unions went on strike because Kumba offered salary increases of 7% for the upper post levels and 8% for the bottom level.
“Trade unions are demanding a 9% increase for the upper levels and 10,5% for workers at the bottom level.
“In addition, workers are demanding a 10% increase in the housing allowance plus an additional R250 for housing, after Kumba increased house rentals by an average of 17%,” the statement added.
Dykema added that last year Kumba CEO Con Fauconnier received “an increase of 35%”.
“During the past financial year, Kumba’s attributable profits increased by 400%,” Dykema stated.
Solidarity has 1 500 members in Kumba. — I-Net Bridge