Photo by: Creamer Media
JSE-listed Sibanye-Stillwater has extended the wage agreement entered into with some unions to all employees, effectively rendering the three-week-long strike by Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) members unprotected.
During the course of the strike, which was called by AMCU on November 21, the collective membership of the National Union of Mineworkers, Uasa and Solidarity has increased to over 50% of the employees at the South African gold operations.
Under these circumstances, the Labour Relations Act provides for the wage agreement to be extended to and bind all other employees to the collective agreement.
In this instance, all employees who are members of AMCU, as well as those who are not members of any trade union, are bound by the collective agreement.
As a result of the extension of the wage agreement, all employees are required to report for work on December 15, Sibanye said in a statement issued on Thursday.
“We are pleased that we have been able to resolve this strike, which has been detrimental for all stakeholders. It is especially gratifying that our employees have exercised their right to work and provide for their families, by joining those unions which concluded a fair and reasonable wage agreement.
“Their support for an agreement that takes the sustainability of the operations into account, while providing for wage increases well above inflation, especially for entry-level employees, is welcomed,” commented Sibanye CEO Neal Froneman.