Sibanye-Stillwater on Monday, 14 February, said it will meet unions this week over a looming strike at its gold operations in the country after some workers backed a walkout.
Miners work deep underground at Sibanye Gold's Masimthembe shaft in Westonaria. Reuters/Mike Hutchings
The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), which has been mediating between the two sides, cleared the unions to give strike notice a month ago after declaring a stalemate in wage talks.
A Sibanye spokesperson said a meeting with unions would take place this week, but did not specify a date.
The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Solidarity and UASA have been negotiating as a united coalition for the first time. NUM spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu told Reuters on Monday that a Sunday meeting of NUM, AMCU, and UASA workers had voted to reject Sibanye's latest wage offer.
Lizle Louw, Johan Olivier and Shane Johnson 15 Nov 2021
Majority vote to strike
"They rejected it. The majority voted to embark on a strike," Mammburu said.
He added that the coalition of unions would only serve Sibanye with a 48-hour strike notice after meeting the company's management if the deadlock remains.
Sibanye's final offer, tabled on 4 February, would increase underground workers' wages by R800 a month in each of the three years under negotiation. Other categories, including artisans and officials, would get 5% increases over the same period.
Mammburu said the unions' demand of R1,000 a month increases for each of the three years remained unchanged.
