A worker at Sibanye's Driefontein gold mine
Photo by: Creamer Media
Trade union Solidarity says it has informed precious metals miner Sibanye-Stillwater that it accepts the company’s latest offer of a 5% wage increase for members employed at Sibanye’s South African gold mines.
According to Solidarity, acceptance of a 5% increase means that Solidarity and its members are no longer in dispute with the company.
Solidarity emphasises that it is a member organisation and acts in accordance with the mandate from its members, despite the unease it may create among other parties.
“After a confidential voting process had taken place, an overwhelming majority of Solidarity’s members accepted the final offer of 5% and, on the basis of the members’ mandate, Solidarity had to withdraw from the dispute process and did not participate in the joint union vote to strike,” Solidarity Mining, Agriculture and Chemical Industry deputy general secretary Riaan Visser says.
Solidarity and three other mining unions have been in dispute with Sibanye’s Gold division over the proposed wage increase since December 2021.
Sibanye and the unions met again in February to try to resolve the dispute and Sibanye revised its offer to a 5% increase for miners, artisans and officials and an increase of R800 (including an additional R100 housing allowance) for Category 4 to 8 employees for the next three years.
“The bid to find consensus between parties is always at the heart of labour relations. Solidarity’s approach is always to find common ground instead of acting hostile towards other parties.
“We are satisfied with the offer and are happy that we could negotiate this increase for our members,” Visser concluded.
The other unions have, meanwhile, resolved to embark on a strike at Sibanye’s gold mines.
Sibanye tells Mining Weekly that the other unions have just completed a balloting process overseen by the CCMA, and would inform the company of the outcome on March 4.