adminJohannesburg. – South Africa’s volatile platinum belt was quiet yesterday morning as wage talks resumed between the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union and platinum producers, in the hope of ending a damaging strike in the sector that has entered its third week.
Police in the North West and platinum producers reported no incidents of strike-related violence as representatives of Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), Impala Platinum (Implats) and Lonmin met Amcu shop stewards for talks in a Pretoria hotel.
Speaking after the conclusion of talks, Amcu treasurer Jimmy Gama said the union had seen a new wage proposal by the mining companies but had subsequently tabled “our own proposed settlement” in line with union members’ demand for a R12 500 basic monthly salary.
On Tuesday, Mr Gama said: “Employers need to come to their senses and realise that the demands of the workers are serious.”
He said employers seemed stuck in “traditional bargaining processes” during the wage talks, which are taking place under the auspices of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.
Job losses
The length of the strike has already led to warnings over impending job cuts at marginal shafts, with the CEOs of the three platinum producers saying on Saturday that a swift and “reasonable” settlement was required, as “prior to the commencement of the strike and before granting wage increases currently under negotiation, around 45 percent of platinum operations in South Africa failed to break even”.
Responding to reports that Amplats was already considering shedding as many as 1 400 jobs as a result of the strike, Mr Gama said on Tuesday that Amcu was “unaware of that plan . . . if there is such a plan we will respond as Amcu”.
The union staunchly opposed restructuring at Amplats last year when the producer controversially mooted shedding 14 000 jobs in the interests of long-term sustainability at its operations.
Yesterday, Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant also appealed for a swift conclusion to the CCMA wage talks. She said: “I am of the view that after a certain period of sustained action, the strike ceases to be a weapon for workers’ interests but (becomes) an arrow that inflicts pain and wounds the workers themselves.”
She added: “Precisely because of the principle of no work, no pay, by the time a settlement is reached, workers have lost a lot more than they could ever gain.”
Producers have put a daily cost to the strike of R198m in lost revenue and R88m in forfeited wages. The strike is already believed to have affected the price of the rand and, more indirectly, the cost of fuel at petrol pumps.
Violence
The strike has brought widespread intimidation of non-striking workers, the disruption of roads and warnings to motorists to be on the lookout for stone-throwing protesters.
On Tuesday, the South African Police Service used stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse a crowd of 3 000 striking workers near Amplats’s Khuseleka shaft.
North West police spokesman Brig Thulani Ngubane said on Wednesday that police had logged only one incident early in the morning, when a case of arson was opened after the torching of a car that belonged to a National Union of Mineworkers employee.
Brig Ngubane said police would continue to take a “zero tolerance” approach to disruptive protests. Mr Gama said on Tuesday that Amcu had not been sufficiently consulted on picketing rules.
“Employers went to the CCMA to conclude picketing rules without us, therefore forcing our members behind the wires,” he said.
“Those rules were done in our absence, hence we are not going to abide by these rules . . . we believe our members have the right to picket where they are picketing.”
He appealed to the SAPS not to interfere with peaceful protests by picketing members outside their workplaces. Mr Gama’s claims were, however, dismissed by Implats yesterday, with company spokesman Johan Theron saying the CCMA’s rules were well publicised and understood. Amcu itself had on multiple occasions refused to engage with the process, he said.
Regardless of this, any changes to picketing rules could not possibly extend to unlawful acts, such as carrying dangerous weapons, throwing stones or preventing individuals from going to their workplace, said Mr Theron.
Amplats yesterday reported no incidents, with company spokeswoman Mpumi Sithole saying the company had engaged Amcu on picketing rules. – BusinessDay.
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