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10 August, 2005ICEM News release No. 49/2001
Strikes due to start this evening at three major South African coal producers have been called off after the employers met the union's demands.
This was announced in Johannesburg this morning by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).
Agreement has also been reached with some gold mining houses, the NUM said. But the union is still in deadlock with three big gold producers, who will therefore face strike action from Wednesday onwards.
At the global level, the NUM is affiliated to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), which has been backing the South African union's campaign.
A meeting between the NUM and the employers' Chamber of Mines on Friday brought agreement with coal producers Ingwe, Eyesizwe and Anglocoal. These had been the last coal companies holding out against the union's demands. The new agreement covers "the outstanding dispute areas: namely, medical incapacity, meal interval and wages," the NUM reported today. "Their revised offers met the demands of the union." The strike notice has therefore been lifted.
Agreement was also reached on Friday with two of South Africa's major gold producers, Anglogold and South Deep. "Both companies met the union's demands on the issues of wages and annual leave," the NUM says. "Therefore, the strike threat on these companies has been lifted."
Friday's meeting was, however, "unable to resolve the deadlock with the Durban Roodeport Deep (DRD), Goldfields and Harmony." Consequently, "the union was left with no choice but to declare a strike against these mines. A 48-hour notice will be served on them in order for the strike to begin on Wednesday night."
But the union added that it remains "open to hearing them should they have reasonable offers to make to us."
More generally, the NUM says this year's agreements constitute progress towards "our ultimate objective; that is, to transform the image of the mining industry."
"The living and working conditions of mineworkers should be changed," the union insists, "so that they too can feel proud as a significant component of the overall workforce in our country. It is the NUM's resolve to work together with the industry in realising this objective. Hence our willingness to continue engaging with the employers, even at the last minute, so as to reach amicable resolution of issues."
This was announced in Johannesburg this morning by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).
Agreement has also been reached with some gold mining houses, the NUM said. But the union is still in deadlock with three big gold producers, who will therefore face strike action from Wednesday onwards.
At the global level, the NUM is affiliated to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), which has been backing the South African union's campaign.
A meeting between the NUM and the employers' Chamber of Mines on Friday brought agreement with coal producers Ingwe, Eyesizwe and Anglocoal. These had been the last coal companies holding out against the union's demands. The new agreement covers "the outstanding dispute areas: namely, medical incapacity, meal interval and wages," the NUM reported today. "Their revised offers met the demands of the union." The strike notice has therefore been lifted.
Agreement was also reached on Friday with two of South Africa's major gold producers, Anglogold and South Deep. "Both companies met the union's demands on the issues of wages and annual leave," the NUM says. "Therefore, the strike threat on these companies has been lifted."
Friday's meeting was, however, "unable to resolve the deadlock with the Durban Roodeport Deep (DRD), Goldfields and Harmony." Consequently, "the union was left with no choice but to declare a strike against these mines. A 48-hour notice will be served on them in order for the strike to begin on Wednesday night."
But the union added that it remains "open to hearing them should they have reasonable offers to make to us."
More generally, the NUM says this year's agreements constitute progress towards "our ultimate objective; that is, to transform the image of the mining industry."
"The living and working conditions of mineworkers should be changed," the union insists, "so that they too can feel proud as a significant component of the overall workforce in our country. It is the NUM's resolve to work together with the industry in realising this objective. Hence our willingness to continue engaging with the employers, even at the last minute, so as to reach amicable resolution of issues."