JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) would meet with platinum producers Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), Impala Platinum (Implats) and Lonmin on Friday to reject the miners’ revised wage offer, AMCU spokesperson Jimmy Gama said, adding that the union would be sticking to its original R12 500 demand. 

Amplats, Implats and Lonmin on Wednesday tabled their new offer in an attempt to resolve the ongoing strike, which started on January 23.

In the revised offer the companies proposed a three-year agreement with increases of 9% for A-band, 8.5% for B-band and 7.5% for C-band employees, which included miners, artisans and officials, during the first year.

In the second year of the agreement, A-band employees would get an increase of 8.5%, while B- and C-band employees would get increases of 7.5% and 7% respectively.

The agreement for the third year comprised a 7.5% increase for A- and B-band employees, and a 7% increase for C-band workers.

Gama stated that this increased offer did not address the union’s demand for a living wage of R12 500.

He told Mining Weekly Online that the new wage offer only reflected a 0.5% increase on the original offer and, therefore, there was “no real change”.

On Wednesday the platinum producers stated that the revised offer was based on a set of principles aimed at taking the sector “on a journey towards the goal of a R12 500 monthly pay package,” as was demanded by AMCU, but in a manner that was affordable and sustainable to the industry.

“Given our situation, this can be achieved only by means of a multiyear agreement based on total guaranteed pay. A R12 500 basic wage is simply not feasible in the foreseeable future,” the producers said, adding that daily revenue losses for the three companies as a result of the strike activity were estimated to be R198-million with employees losing up to R88-million a day in wages

Gama stated that the way forward would be decided at the Friday meeting, adding that the strike would continue in the meantime.