[miningmx.com] – SOUTH Africa’s rival unions, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the Association of Mineworkers & Construction Union (AMCU), may be playing a game of “who blinks first” ahead of biennial gold and coal wage negotiations.
Citing Paul Fouche, a lawyer at Fasken Martineau, Bloomberg News said that there may be strategic advantage in submitting wage demands last. Neither has yet given gold or coal firms their wage demands even though the NUM said it was aiming to make its demands known by the end of April.
“The ongoing power struggle between NUM and AMCU means that the trade unions are likely to explore any strategic advantage available,’ Fouche, told the newswire. “The trade union which submits its demands last may get an opportunity to meet, exceed the demands of the other trade union or differentiate its demands,’ he said.
Citing Joseph Mathunjwa, president of AMCU, Bloomberg News said trying the patience of rival unions was not part of AMCU’s strategy, however. “We are not looking at someone’ to go first, Mathunjwa said in an interview at a May 1 rally. “Once we are ready, we’ll submit.’
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