National
Negotiations between platinum producers and Amcu to resume tomorrow─── 12:13 Mon, 21 Apr 2014
Negotiations between platinum producers and union Amcu are expected to resume on Tuesday following a new wage offer tabled for the striking mineworkers.
Impala Platinum (Implats) said his company has not received formal feedback from the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) since the new offer was tabled last week, spokesman Johan Theron said on Monday.
"It is not so easy for Amcu to consult their members over the long-weekend.
"We will have to wait and see how we will progress on negotiations from tomorrow when we meet again," he said.
Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), Implats and Lonmin have presented Amcu with a new offer in a bid to end the three-month-long strike in the platinum sector.
The proposal would see entry level underground employees' minimum cash remuneration, comprising basic wages and holiday, living out and other allowances, rise to R12,500 per month, or R150,000 per annum by July 2017.
Cash remuneration excluded medical and retirement benefits, and any bonuses.
Amplats spokeswoman Mpumi Sithole said her company would also be part of the meeting, to be facilitated by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
Lonmin spokeswoman Sue Vey could not be reached for comment.
The company had indicated that it would only release a statement on the offer on Tuesday.
The 12 week strike had so far resulted in R6,047 million in employees' lost earnings and R13,607m in companies' revenue lost, according to the Chamber of Mines' website.
Thousands of Amcu members downed tools on January 23 to push for a basic monthly salary of R12,500. The union previously rejected a wage increase of up to nine percent.
The companies, in turn, rejected Amcu's revised demand that the R12,500 could be achieved over four years.
- Sapa
