NUM gives gold mine employers the last opportunity

By Rhodé Marshall
24 July 2007

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has given gold mine employers at the Chamber of Mines the last opportunity to make a wage offer.

This follows their meeting which was held on Monday where workers were offered an increase of 7, 25%, which the union has rejected.

“We have given the Chamber the 1st of August as the last round of negotiations since we indicated earlier that we are not interested in any prolonged negotiations this year,” says general-secretary of NUM, Frans Baleni.

The Chamber of Mines has offered the increase of 7, 25%, a merit based increase, which the union says will give the employers the perfect opportunity to use their colour-bar discretion.

“The NUM extends an olive branch to the Chamber to come to the realisation that workers need that increment,” says Baleni.

He added that the Chambers accusation that workers have “many demands” is completely rejected as they have only been fair in their demands.

“With certain things we have dropped our demands to be fair, yet they have not been fair on the workers,” says Baleni.