With wage talks deadlocked, South Africa’s National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) says that strike plans would go ahead at three of the nation’s gold mines — Goldfields, Harmony and Durban Roodepoort Deep, according to Reuters.
Similar actions against Anglogold (AU-N) and South Deep Mine, owned 50% by Placer Dome (PDG-T), were averted when the union agreed to recommend that its members accept a revised wage offer from the two groups.
The South African Chamber of Mines, which represents South Africa’s mining employers, says its offer includes an 8% wage increase for higher-paid employees and 9% for entry-level positions.
Similar packages were offered at Goldfields, Harmony and DRD, but the union didn’t like the way the way the increases and leave benefits would be phased in.
"We will be serving them with a 48-hour notice to strike. We will go on strike on Wednesday," Moferefere Lekorotsoane, a NUM spokesman, told Reuters.
Frans Barker, a spokesman for the Chamber of Mines, says no further talks have been scheduled, but there was still hope for a settlement.
Earlier this week, NUM members voted in favour of strike action at gold and coal mines. The strikes were slated to begin on Thursday, but were delayed to allow the union to read contract proposals on Friday.
Meanwhile, a strike scheduled for Sunday at three of South Africa’s big coal mines has been called off. The Chamber of Mines says it has reached a wage agreement with the union.
The employers and the union agreed on an 8% wage hike in 2001 and a 7.5% increase in 2002. The deal also included medical benefits and meal intervals.
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