JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s Solidarity trade union, which represents mostly skilled workers, on Monday accepted wage increases of between 4.8 percent and 6 percent offered by the industry body representing big gold producers.
“Although we are not satisfied with the final offer on the table, Solidarity’s members have mandated us to accept the Chamber’s final offer given the enormous pressure currently experienced in the industry,” Solidarity General Secretary Gideon du Plessis said in a statement.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
The largest unions in the sector – the National Union of Mineworkers and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union – declared disputes with gold producers on Thursday after wage talks deadlocked.
Their negotiations with the gold firms will now be handled by a government mediator, a necessary regulatory step before the union members can go on strike.
Solidarity said it had agreed to pay rises of 4.8 percent at Harmony Gold and 6 percent at AngloGold Ashanti and Sibanye Gold.(Reuters)
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