Solidarity refuses to sign Kumba agreement
12 July 2023
Solidarity has announced that it will not sign a salary agreement that Kumba Iron Ore wants to impose on its members.
This follows after Kumba, as Anglo American's iron ore producer, reached an agreement on the sly with the other mining unions involved after the declaration of dispute by Solidarity. Kumba wants to make this agreement automatically applicable to Solidarity's members.
“Our refusal to sign is a matter of principle. Kumba does not negotiate in good faith and forces an unfavourable agreement on our members. The company introduces unfair practices that result in certain categories of workers having to subsidise the increases of other workers,” said Solidarity General Secretary Gideon du Plessis.
In terms of the new agreement, skilled workers will receive a lower percentage increase than predominantly semi-skilled workers. This practice stems from the previous three-year wage agreement when the same unfair principle was applied by Kumba.