About 3 500 Solidarity mine workers will down tools on Sunday over low salaries, the trade union said. ”Plans for the strike at midnight today [Sunday] are on track,” said spokesperson Reint Dykema.
The union is to go on strike at coal mines around the country over an inadequate pay offer, particularly for artisans.
”Something must be done to keep artisans as there is a skills shortage in the industry,” he said.
The union’s members were unhappy with the lower categories of workers being offered a 10% increase and artisans 8%. ”Workers are unhappy with the offer so currently we are demanding a 15% wage increase for everybody,” said Dykema.
The affected coalmines included Anglo Coal, Xstrata, Optimum Colliery and Exxaro.
Dykema said the strike would affect the industry negatively.
”We foresee big supply problems, for coal export from Richards Bay and coal supplies to Eskom for electricity generation.
He added that the union had handed over a strike notice to the Chamber of Mines on Friday.
He said the union was ready to engage in negotiations with the mines.
”We suggested that we meet over the weekend to discuss the matter; however that was not successful”.
Meanwhile, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said that it was still in consultation with its members on whether to join the strike.
NUM spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka said: ”We are in consultations with our members. We will have a better idea of whether our members want to join the strike or not tomorrow [Monday]”.
Seshoka added that the union considered the 10% wage offer, into which most of its members fall, to be a good offer. — Sapa