The strike at Sibanye-Stillwater mine will soon be over, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) announced on Friday.
NUM spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu said workers had accepted the offer that NUM and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) presented at a mass meeting at Driefontein mine in Carletonville on Friday.
The agreement will still need to be signed before workers return to work.
Negotiations between unions and management had gone on for the past three months without resolution. The workers wanted a R1,000 monthly increase for three years and a 6% wage increase.
Mammburu said in terms of the agreement, the employer will pay a R1,000 per month increase for category 4 to 8 workers for the first year, a R900 per month increase for the second year and R750 increase for the third year.
Artisans, miners and officials will receive a 5% wage increase for the first year, a 5.5% increase for the second year, and a 5% increase for the third year.
Mammburu said all employees will receive an ex gratia payment of R3,000 immediately.
“Workers have overwhelmingly accepted the offer. They told the leadership of NUM and Amcu that they must immediately sign the agreement as they wanted to go back to work.
“The biggest achievement is the unity that was displayed by NUM and Amcu at shop floor level, something that has never happened in the history of trade unionism in SA,” Mammburu said.
Sibanye-Stillwater said it was pleased Amcu and NUM members gave the union leadership a mandate to accept the three-year wage proposal by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.
“The proposal mandated is in line with inflation over a three-year period [at an average annual increase of 6.3% total increase] and will contribute to the sustainability of the Sibanye-Stillwater SA gold operations.”
Sibanye-Stillwater said the final agreement will be extended to all employees in the bargaining unit, including members of Uasa and Solidarity.
“We welcome this positive step towards ending the industrial action at our gold operations and thank our employees for making their voices heard,” said Sibanye-Stillwater’s chief regional officer for Southern Africa Richard Stewart.
TimesLIVE
Strike at Sibanye-Stillwater 'about to end' as workers accept offer
Image: Alaister Russell
The strike at Sibanye-Stillwater mine will soon be over, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) announced on Friday.
NUM spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu said workers had accepted the offer that NUM and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) presented at a mass meeting at Driefontein mine in Carletonville on Friday.
The agreement will still need to be signed before workers return to work.
Negotiations between unions and management had gone on for the past three months without resolution. The workers wanted a R1,000 monthly increase for three years and a 6% wage increase.
Mammburu said in terms of the agreement, the employer will pay a R1,000 per month increase for category 4 to 8 workers for the first year, a R900 per month increase for the second year and R750 increase for the third year.
Artisans, miners and officials will receive a 5% wage increase for the first year, a 5.5% increase for the second year, and a 5% increase for the third year.
Mammburu said all employees will receive an ex gratia payment of R3,000 immediately.
“Workers have overwhelmingly accepted the offer. They told the leadership of NUM and Amcu that they must immediately sign the agreement as they wanted to go back to work.
“The biggest achievement is the unity that was displayed by NUM and Amcu at shop floor level, something that has never happened in the history of trade unionism in SA,” Mammburu said.
Sibanye-Stillwater said it was pleased Amcu and NUM members gave the union leadership a mandate to accept the three-year wage proposal by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.
“The proposal mandated is in line with inflation over a three-year period [at an average annual increase of 6.3% total increase] and will contribute to the sustainability of the Sibanye-Stillwater SA gold operations.”
Sibanye-Stillwater said the final agreement will be extended to all employees in the bargaining unit, including members of Uasa and Solidarity.
“We welcome this positive step towards ending the industrial action at our gold operations and thank our employees for making their voices heard,” said Sibanye-Stillwater’s chief regional officer for Southern Africa Richard Stewart.
TimesLIVE
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