JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – South Africa’s largest mining union has rejected a 6% pay offer by world number-one platinum-miner Anglo Platinum (Angloplat).

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) demanded a 15% wage increase from the company on Wednesday.

Anglopat spokesperson Simon Tebele confirmed on Thursday that the company had offered a 6% wage increase, and said that the next round of negotiations would start on June 25.

The union’s 15% increase equals the demands submitted to gold and coal mining companies, but is lower than the 20% hike that it had asked from Impala Platinum.

The NUM also demanded that the minimum monthly wage for surface workers be increased to R4 200 and for underground workers to R4 500. It stated that Angloplat had offered to lift surface workers’ wages to R4 000, and underground employees’ wages to R4 400.

NUM deputy general secretary Oupa Komane, who negotiates on behalf of members at Angloplat said that the union “appreciated the small moves” that the company made, but that the union was still looking for a higher offer.

The union also wants maternity leave to be extended to six months with pay and that the company would stop using labour brokers.

In 2007, the NUM also demanded a 15% increase from Angloplat, but lowered its demands to between 10% and 12%.

The union and the company eventually agreed on a 10% salary increase for class A and B workers for the first year, and a 9% increase for 2008. Its class C to D1 employees’ salaries were increased by 8,5% in 2007, and 8% the following year.

In the 2007 wage negotiations, the NUM declared a dispute with Angloplat, but never officially filed it, in anticipation of a higher offer.

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