[miningmx.com] — THE National
Union of Mineworkers said on Saturday that Impala Platinum
(Implats) had improved its wage offer in a bid to avert
a strike.
The union and Implats have been in talks since Friday,
adding to a wave of disputes that have already disrupted
operations in the mining and fuel sectors.
South Africa’s “strike season” is already expected to
intensify when at least 145,000 municipal workers walk off the
job on Monday, disrupting rubbish collection and other services
in major cities.
Eddie Majadibodu, the Num’s chief negotiator at Implats,
said the company had raised its offer to between 8% and 10%, depending on category, from a previous offer of between
7.5% and 8%. The Num has been asking for a 14% raise for its 26,000 members at Implats.
“We are not happy. We are still looking for a double-digit
increase across the board, but we will discuss this new offer
with our members first,” he told Reuters.
A decision on the new offer is expected by Friday next week.
Should members reject the offer, the union will take the dispute
to arbitration, Majadibodu said.
