[miningmx.com] – SOUTH African union UASA believed the country’s gold producers tabled “a good opening offer” in wage negotiations last week, but added the deal’s five-year term was too long, said Bloomberg News citing the union’s head of mining, Franz Stehring.
Stehring told the newswire service that unchanged housing allowances and increases not linked to inflation were also issues raised by his union. He had asked the Chamber of Mines, which is representing AngloGold Ashanti, Sibanye Gold and Harmony Gold – among others – to “go back and redo your figures”.
The producers offered wage increases of as much as 13%, plus a share of profits, provided unions agreed to a five year term and allowed employers to make changes to organisational structures.
The centralised negotiations in Johannesburg with producers also include the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), which represents most gold miners and is demanding an 80% increase in basic pay, said Bloomberg News. UASA comprises about 7% of the 95,000 employees involved compared with 52% for the NUM.
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