MEYERTON. – This year’s wage negotiations have started off well with a favourable agreement in the Metal and Engineering industry. The trade unions, Solidarity and the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (NUMSA) recently entered into a collective agreement with South32 Meyerton for wages and other service conditions for the next three years.

“This agreement has come into effect on July 1 and is binding until June 30, 2020. The three year agreement concluded with employers in the Metal and Engineering industry involves a 7% year on year increase, as well as annually increasing medical coverage,” says Marius Croucamp, Solidarity’s Deputy General Secretary for the Metal and Engineering Industry.

The agreement also includes a pre-tax cash pay-out of R20 000 that will be paid as a lump sum with employees’ salaries in July.

According to Croucamp, the trade union is very pleased with the wage agreement. “The agreement creates a degree of stability for the employees over the next three years,” he says.

“Employees now have the necessary security within which they can make plans for the future.”

* South32 holds a 60 per cent interest in Samancor Holdings (Pty) Ltd and Anglo American Plc holds the remaining 40 per cent.