Trade union Solidarity has said it is disappointed at the final offer tabled by the South African Chamber of Mines on Thursday and has warned of strike action should members reject the latest proposals.
The trade union, which primarily represents skilled workers, had been campaigning for an 11 percent increase to its members’ wages and a review of the retirement age.
In a final offer tabled today, the Chamber of Mines has offered a wage increase of between 4.6 percent and 6.0 percent for skilled workers, Solidarity has said, which is lower than the mandate for settlement obtained from its members.
The Chamber of Mines represents major gold producers Sibanye Gold, AngloGold Ashanti and Harmony Gold among others.
According to the union’s general secretary Gideon du Plessis, Solidarity will present the final offer to its members for consideration.
“If the offer is rejected, the alternative would be to strike. However, the advantages for members of a strike will have to be weighed against its impact on the sustainability of the mining industry,” Du Plessis said.
“If no strikes take place in the gold sector, this sector will be able to return to normal and it will be able to focus on the optimisation of production in this sector,” Du Plessis said.
The Chamber of Mines gave the unions the opportunity to provide feedback on the final wage offer. Solidarity will provide its feedback by August 7.
South African mines last year produced 167.9 tonnes of the 3,133 tonnes of gold mined globally in 2015, down six percent from 179.5 tonnes in the previous year according to Metals Focus data. South Africa is the largest gold producing country on the African continent, making up 28 percent of the region’s annual output.
(Editing by Martin Hayes)
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