[miningmx.com] – LONMIN said it had made “reasonable offers” to the Associated Mineworkers & Construction Union (AMCU) as it sought to break an impasse over the union’s recognition agreement.
“The company is striving to reach an agreement which is in the best interests of all of its employees and has made reasonable offers in discussions with AMCU in an attempt to achieve this,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday evening.
“There is no agreement at the moment and we are therefore continuing to pursue an amicable settlement. We will continue to engage with AMCU,” it added.
Lonmin’s statement also confirmed earlier reports that it had not received a notice of strike from AMCU. “We remain confident that an agreement can be reached through continued negotiations,” it said.
This perhaps casts a ray of light over discussions that foundered at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) last month and which are due for arbitration at the commission on June 26.
AMCU has asked to represent workers in all categories at Lonmin’s operations even though it doesn’t enjoy sufficient support in the skilled worker category. There is also
disagreement regarding an AMCU demand that the implementation date of agreed wage increases is moved three months earlier to July 1 from October 1.
Although Lonmin has agreed to this demand, it has asked that it become effective from 2015 in order to allow all parties to adapt to the change – a condition rejected by AMCU.
Sapa earlier today cited unions UASA and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) as saying they were unaware of AMCU’s intentions.
Lesiba Seshoka, spokesperson for the NUM, said his union would not be informed of such a notice, but he added that a strike would be unprotected because a date for arbitration had been set.
President Jacob Zuma partially answered Lonmin’s call on June 7 for government assistance to tackle on-mine violent protest. Speaking in parliament today, Zuma said: “Our law enforcement agencies have been instructed not to tolerate those who commit crime in the name of labor relations. They will face the full might of the law”.
