Gold miners face Amcu strike, now NUM strike is over - by Karl Gernetzky – MEMBERS of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) in the gold-mining sector have voted to strike, the SABC reported on Sunday. Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa said on Monday that while the union had resolved to strike, it would continue negotiations with the Chamber of Mines before workers downed tools. There was no timeframe for continued negotiations as “this will depend on how the chamber responds”, he said. Amcu members made the decision at a central mass meeting in Carletonville, west of Johannesburg, on Sunday, rejecting employers’ offer of an 8% wage increase. “We have confirmed and voted for this strike. You have mandated us (so) we can continue and engage with the Chamber of Mines with your demands,” Mr Mathunjwa told union members. “Failing which we will serve the Chamber of Mines with a 48-hour notice to strike.” Amcu is demanding R12,500 for entry-level workers but companies have said they cannot afford big pay rises. Rival union the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) accepted the 8% offer, effectively ending its three-day strike, but industrial action at most Harmony Gold mines continued, as NUM members at those mines rejected the offer. However, Harmony spokeswoman Marian van der Walt said on Monday that production had resumed on Sunday night. Workers began returning to work during Sunday’s night shift, beginning at 9pm, while production on Monday morning was normal, she said. Harmony CEO Graham Briggs had extended a personal plea to employees on Sunday to return to work, saying the company had offered an improved offer but “continued industrial action will make this increase unaffordable and place the future viability of some of our operations under threat”. Ms van der Walt said the reasons the NUM members at Harmony had rejected the offer were unclear. Solidarity general secretary Gideon du Plessis said on Monday that most of the union’s membership had signed off on accepting the deal but this announcement could only be made in the afternoon as union members at Harmony wanted to reject the offer. At Harmony we “are still battling to get our members backdated pay related to millions of rand of deductions from salaries from a medical-aid scheme that ceased to exist”, he said. Solidarity members were affected by having money deducted from their salaries, even after the medical-aid scheme ended five years ago. Harmony owed these employees about R15m, he said. Mr du Plessis said it was his understanding that the NUM was also affected by the deductions, although to a lesser degree. An announcement from Solidarity could be expected on Monday afternoon, he said. Mr Mathunjwa said the Chamber of Mines should not force Amcu to accept 8% purely because another union had accepted it. A Chamber of Mines statement detailing the wage offer is expected later on Monday. Article published with the kind courtesy of bdlive.co.za
Posted on: Mon, 09 Sep 2013 10:35:59 +0000
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