AMCU workers to strike at Sibanye’s South Africa gold mines

Nearly 14 000 workers of gold miner Sibanye-Stillwater will down tools at its South African gold operations this week, after months of wage negotiations with the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) reached a deadlock. The gold miner confirmed on Monday that AMCU members would embark on a protected strike from the evening shift on Wednesday. AMCU represents about 43% of the 32 200 people that Sibanye employs at its South African gold operations. The affected operations will include Driefontein, Kloof, Beatrix, the Cooke shafts, as well as health services, property services, the South African region and corporate office, protection services and the Gold Academy, AMCU said in a statement. Sibanye earlier this month reached three-year wage agreements with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Solidarity and Uasa. AMCU is demanding an increase of R1 000 a year, while some of the negotiating gold mines are offering R650 for the first year, R700 for the second year and R825 for the third year. “The average basic wages for category four to eight employees have increased by more than 65% since Sibanye was unbundled from Gold Fields in 2013. This is significantly above inflation and represents a very real improvement in the standard of living of our employees. “The current wage agreement reached with NUM, Solidarity and Uasa is again well in excess of inflation, but takes the longer term sustainability of the gold operations into consideration,” the miner explained. Sibanye CEO Neal Froneman said it was “disappointing” that AMCU had chosen this course of action, especially ahead of the December holiday period, noting that the strike would have financial consequences for employees and their families. AMCU has indicated that it will hold a press briefing later in the week to expand on its intended strike action.

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