[miningmx.com] – THE Association of Mineworkers & Construction Union (AMCU) rejected a wage offer from gold producers, said Reuters citing the union’s spokesman, Manzini Zungu.
“Harmony’s offer has messed it up, the offer is too low for the members,” Zungu said after a mass rally at Sibanye’s Beatrix mine.
In a report by Bloomberg News, Joseph Mathunjwa, president of AMCU, was quoted as saying that the union would march on employer offices if necessary to press home their rejection of the deal.
“The way forward is go back to employer and give them the feedback that their offer has been rejected by the majority of AMCU members,’ Mathunjwa told reporters after meeting. The union will meet again after it hears back from the companies, he said.
The gold producers tabled a final offer last week in which they promised to pay R12,500 a month for entry level workers by 2018 – the third year of the deal of the proposed wage agreement. Reuters said the wage increases were up to 17%. AMCU, however, is demanding a more than doubling in wages.
The union will meet with the Chamber of Mines on Tuesday to officially reject what the gold companies called a “final offer”, said Reuters.
“The final offer is just that – final,” spokeswoman for the Chamber Charmane Russell told Reuters. The Chamber would wait until Tuesday to hear from the AMCU, she said.
Click here to read the Reuters article.
Click here to the Bloomberg News article
