We have been negotiating with the NUM since March this year ahead of the expiry of our 3-year agreement on 30 April 2023 on conditions of employment affecting some 1500 employees in the bargaining unit at Venetia Mine and De Beers Sightholder Sales South Africa.
Our intention is to secure an agreement on a 5-year wage deal with the union. We believe that a 5-year agreement will provide a measure of certainty, particularly against the backdrop of the transition from open pit mining to the underground mine at Venetia Mine and the recent move of our sorting and valuation business from Kimberley to Johannesburg. As the diamond industry, we are also faced with challenging market conditions that are continuing to have an adverse impact on our business.
Five-year agreements have been achieved by several mining houses in South Africa and the NUM has been party to these. The NUM presented 10 demands to us, and we tabled 3 demands related to shifts and overtime. All the other matters have been settled and the only outstanding issue is wages.
The union has declared a dispute in terms of our collective agreement, and we have been engaging in conciliation facilitated by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
We met with the union under the auspices of the CCMA in Johannesburg on 6 September in another attempt to reach agreement and the NUM is considering our offer. We are confident that through continued engagement with the union and our employees we will reach a sustainable settlement with the NUM.