Wage negotiations in the gold sector of the Chamber of Mines resumed at a slow pace on Monday, trade union Solidarity said.
Solidarity mining spokesperson Reint Dykema said the Chamber of Mines had increased its salary offer from 7% to 7,25%.
”The increase in the offer of the Chamber by 0,25% is disappointing,” said Dykema.
He said the Chamber of Mines would pay an additional scarcity allowance to certain artisans including fitters and turners, electricians and boiler makers.
The final round of negotiations would take place next Wednesday.
”Solidarity welcomes the acknowledgement of the skills shortages by employers in the gold sector. The shortages are part of the reason for the decrease in production at the mining companies,” said Dykema.
The unions are demanding a 15% increase.
Wage negotiations started last month.
The Chamber of Mines — which represents gold producers AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields and Harmony — said it had made a number of positive offers to trade unions Solidarity, the National Union of Mineworkers and the United Association of South Africa.
In addition to a new wage offer of 7,25%, the Chamber had also offered an inflation-linked increase to the living out allowance (currently R1 000 a month); a special wage increase for rock drill operators over the next two years which would bring their pensionable earnings to R4 000 a month (excluding various other bonuses); an increase of 8,25% in the basic wages for certain categories of artisans in short supply and the introduction of a merit-based increase for officials as part of the wage increase. In terms of this, some officials could get a much higher wage increase, it said.
It also offered a minimum underground wage of R3 000 a month, an increase in the minimum medical incapacity benefit from R7 500 to R10 000 and improvements in paid sick leave and paid accident leave.
The chamber’s chief negotiator Elize Strydom said that some progress had been made, but that many demands with high cost implications were still outstanding.
”There were several other demands that the industry was unable to meet due to the cost implications, including higher contributions to retirement funds, funeral cover, service increment, and numerous special allowances.”
In spite of these implications, the chamber had made a revised offer of 7,25% for all employees.
”We remain committed to finding solutions to these issues together with the unions and hope to make progress as quickly as possible,” Strydom said. – Sapa