Amcu rejects new pay increase offer – by Carol Paton and Karl Gernetzky THE Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) has rejected a government-brokered proposal for an R800 monthly increase and told negotiators its stance remains that a R12,500 basic wage is the only way to end the strike in the platinum sector. The government and employers had hoped that the offer would be good enough for Amcu leaders to take back to their members. The two parties were to meet again today after being asked to look for innovative ways to reach the R12,500 demand. Today also is a crucial day for Amcu as its court application for a protected strike in the gold sector will be heard in the Johannesburg Labour Court. If the court rules in its favour, Amcu will be able to bring three of South Africa’s largest gold mines into the continuing platinum strike. The CEOs from Lonmin, Impala Platinum and Anglo-American Platinum will once again meet a government task team on Thursday led by Mineral Resources Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi. Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa told Mr Ramatlhodi on Tuesday that the government proposal was the same as the one the union’s members had rejected three months ago. He asked Mr Ramatlhodi to convey the union’s response to producers. We hope the minister is engaging with the producers, Mr Mathunjwa said on Wednesday. Our position is clear; we want R12,500. The government proposal was not a new proposal. They introduced (an old proposal) that has already been rejected by our members three months ago. The government-brokered proposal is similar to one the Labour Court put forward two weeks ago and another by negotiators from the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration as far back as February. In its latest iteration it includes an R800 a month increase for five years. For the lowest paid this would be a 16% increase in the first year. When the living-out allowance is rolled into the basic wage, it allows the lowest-paid to reach the R12,500 mark. There is speculation among analysts that the union is unlikely to settle in platinum until the outcome of the gold application is known. Further, Amcu wants a R12,500 basic wage in the gold sector, and that any strike run concurrently with the one in the platinum sector. Amcu is not the majority union in the gold sector, where a wage settlement of 8% was agreed upon by employers and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in September. But the union contends it should be allowed to strike on mines where it has a majority. The Chamber of Mines interdicted Amcu from striking in January. The matter will be heard in court today. The chamber argues that the decision of the majority binds Amcu. The NUM, Solidarity and the United Association of SA represent 72% of the workers in the gold sector and had agreed to a wage settlement in the centralised bargaining process. Article published with the kind courtesy of bdlive.co.za
Posted on: Thu, 05 Jun 2014 06:04:48 +0000
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