The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Wednesday that it had struck a double-digit wage deal with platinum miner Lonmin.
The trade union said it had signed a new two-year wage agreement with Lonmin that would see workers getting 10% in the first year and 8% in the second year.
Minimum wages for underground workers would also increase from R3 000 to R3 200 a month, while that of surface workers would increase from R2 800 to R3 000.
NUM said Lonmin had agreed to increase shift allowances by 1%, improve medical aid schemes and begin engaging on the introduction of an employee share ownership programme.
“This is a great achievement for the workers at Lonmin,” said Eric Ngcilitshana, the NUM’s negotiator at the company.
The agreement is backdated to the beginning of October.
Lonmin said in a statement to the JSE that the negotiations related to its Marikana operations in North West Province.
The company said negotiations were continuing with United Association of South Africa (UASA) and Solidarity.
Solidarity on Tuesday rejected Lonmin’s offer to increase the union’s members’ pay by 9%, saying the workers were demanding a 10% increase.
Solidarity was also demanding a housing subsidy of R5 500 a month and insisted that it would only commit to a one-year agreement, not the three-year one proposed by the platinum miner. – I-Net Bridge