Amcu and NUM mineworkers end their strike
"We are happy with the proposed increase. We have also spoken to our families and they too are happy with the news."
The almost four-month-long strike by Sibanye Stillwaters mineworkers came to an end on Friday.
The miners were demanding that Sibinye Stillwaters increase their salaries by R1 000 a month.
They also demanded that President Cyril Ramaphosa intervenes in their negotiations with Sibanye.
This resulted in them camping outside the Union Buildings for three weeks.
The miners wanted the mining company to pay them an extra R1 000 a month and increase this each of the next two years.
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However, it is believed they eventually settled for a monthly increase of R1 000 a month for this followed by R900 a month next and R750 in the following year.
Meanwhile, artisans and miners will receive a 5% wage hike in year one, 5.5% in the second year and 5% in year three.
The unions also managed to secure a once-off payment of R3 000 for each worker.
In a statement, Sibanye Stillwaters said the unions announced that members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) gave their leadership a mandate to accept a three-year wage proposal made by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) to the parties.
“The proposal is in line with inflation over three years (at an average annual increase of 6.3% total increase) and will contribute to the sustainability of the Sibanye Stillwaters SA gold operations,” said the company.
ALSO READ: We will not move, say Union Buildings mineworkers
The CCMA proposal to the parties includes:
– Category 4 – 8 employees will receive an increase of R1 000 or 7.7% in year 1, R900 or 6.5% in year 2 and R750 or 5.2% in year 3.
“In addition, these employees will receive a once-off hardship allowance payment of R3 000 of which R1200 will be in cash and R1 800 will be used to pay off their debt or loans to the company.”
Amcu representative Thembelani Nhlahla said they were happy with the proposal.
“We are happy with the money they have offered, we have been speaking to our families and they are also happy about the news,” he said.
“We are just waiting for the people who were negotiating to finally sign the agreements and then we will be going back to work.”
The parties are expected to sign the agreement this week.
Sibanye chief regional officer Richard Stewart welcomed this positive step towards ending the industrial action and thanked employees for making their voices heard.
“We also acknowledge the integral mediation role played by the CCMA in facilitating constructive engagements between the parties. We now look forward to returning our SA gold operations to stability and profitability for the benefit of all stakeholders.”
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