Photo by: Duane Daws
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Friday accepted Northam Platinum’s revised wage offer, ending the 11-week strike at the platinum company’s Zondereinde mine, in Limpopo.
The company’s two-year offer comprised a 9.5% wage increase for core, and a 8.5% increase for noncore category 2 to 8 employees, and 9% living-out allowance increase.
Category 9 to 10 employees were offered an 8% increase for core employees, a 7.5% wage improvement for noncore employees, and a 7% improvement on the living-out allowance.
Further, Northam had also proposed a R3 000 one-off payment to category 2 to 8 employees.
This one-off payment was previously rejected by the NUM, and the union had made an alternative proposal that it had presented to Northam on Wednesday.
This alternative proposal, which had now been accepted by the parties entailed the R3 000 one-off payment now being included as an ex gratia payment for 23 months and then added onto employees’ basic salaries on the twenty-fourth month.
This addition upped the overall increase on basic wages to between 9.8% and 11.8%.
Meanwhile, Northam said it had, since it had been advised that the NUM accepted the offer, received a further request from the union for a meeting with management on Monday, January 20.
"Management has agreed to a further meeting provided it is held under the auspices of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration," the company said.
The NUM, in a statement, said that the agreement was currently being finalised and, once the NUM was satisfied, it would be signed and the workers would return to work.
The union further stated that it would continue to fight for better salaries and working conditions for its members, reiterating its call that the board of Northam had to intervene in such matters.
“We cannot afford a situation where every round of wage negotiations in this company is settled by a long strike, this is not sustainable,” the NUM said.