/ 14 September 2009

Angloplat workers accept pay deal, strike averted

South Africa’s National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Monday its members at Anglo Platinum, the world’s top producer of the metal, had agreed to a one-year wage deal, averting a possible strike.

The workers rejected a proposal by the company for the wage settlement to cover a two-year period, which means the union and Anglo Platinum would have to negotiate a new deal next year, Oupa Komane, the union’s deputy general secretary told Reuters.

”Workers have accepted the company’s offer for the first year, but they don’t want a two-year deal,” said Komane, who is also the head negotiator for the union at Anglo Platinum.

Asked if this meant there would be no strike, Komane said: ”Yes, there will be no strike, no strike is planned.”

Anglo Platinum — a unit of global miner Anglo American Plc — had offered increases of between 9% and 10% for different category of workers for the first year, and between 7,5% and 8% in the second year.

The union represents about 30 000 workers at Anglo Platinum, which has about 60 000 workers. — Reuters