Sibanye-Stillwater offers revised increases after CCMA stated trade unions may go on strike
7 February 2022
Solidarity today announced that Sibanye-Stillwater had tabled a revised wage increase offer to employees working at its gold mines. This turn of events comes after seven months of negotiations had deadlocked.
Solidarity points out that the mining company resumed negotiations after the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) had issued a certificate granting trade unions the right to embark on strike action.
“It would appear as if an agreement may now be within reach with Sibanye-Stillwater after a marathon negotiation session last Friday,” says Solidarity General Secretary Gideon du Plessis. “The trade unions will this week consult with their members about the revised offer. Solidarity cannot speak on behalf of other trade unions but will encourage its members to consider the new offer favourably”.
According to Solidarity, the company’s previous offer for the miners, artisans and officials represented by Solidarity was a 4,1% increase for year one; a 4,7% increase for year two; and a 4,7% increase for year three as well. The offer has now been increased to grant a 5% increase to this category of employees for each of the coming three years. The 5% offer is higher than 2021’s average inflation rate and is higher than the average inflation forecasts for 2022 and 2023.
The company’s previous offer to category 4 to 8 employees was an increase of R520 for year one; a R610 increase for year two; and a R640 increase for year three. However, on Friday Sibanye-Stillwater amended its offer to employees in this category, offering an increase of R800 for years one, two and three respectively.
“It was a frustrating seven months of negotiating during which parties negotiated with each other mainly through CCMA facilitation,” Du Plessis pointed out. “Friday’s change in approach, where the unions and the employer negotiated directly with each other with Sibanye’s negotiating team being boosted by representation of senior decision-makers, did bear fruit. It was thanks to such an approach that a settlement was reached at Harmony Gold within three months last year and within two weeks at Village Main Reef. This comes after bargaining with these two gold mining houses kicked off at the same time as those with Sibanye in July 2021.
“Negotiations at Sibanye’s platinum mines will start as soon as an agreement has been reached with Sibanye as far as its gold mines are concerned. These negotiations promise to be much more robust because during its gold mine negotiations the company consistently pleaded poverty and threatened with retrenchments while ascribing its favourable financial position to its profitable platinum mines, Du Plessis concluded.
Issued by Gideon du Plessis, General Secretary, Solidarity, 7 February 2022
