TALKS to resolve the 18-week platinum strike were again on a knife-edge yesterday as a government negotiating team waited for a response from the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) on a proposal to increase wages of the lowest paid workers by R800 a month.
Amcu treasurer Jimmy Gama said the union leadership was preparing its response and would inform the government task team of its stance by the end of yesterday.
The proposal is an improvement on the previous offers by the companies – Lonmin, Impala Platinum and Anglo American Platinum – and entails a monthly increase of R800 a month every year for five years for the lowest earners. Increases for those on higher pay notches would be lower.
For the lowest paid, the percentage increase is about 16% for the first year, falling after that. When compared with the previous offer by employers the proposal is slightly higher, with the previous offer stated in percentage terms – 10% for the lowest earner, which for an entry-level salary of R4500 would have been R450 in the first year.
But as the percentage would have remained constant over four years the quantum increase would have grown.
The numbers were disclosed in part by Amcu advisers at the Alternative Information and Development Centre and confirmed by several company sources.
Mahlodi Muofhe, a spokesman for Mineral Resources Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi, said: "The parties have gone to consult with their constituencies."
But Gama said that "the Amcu leadership would respond" and the union was not planning to approach its members to canvass their opinion.
"We expect that after we respond we will be called to another meeting with the task team," he said.
The proposal is very similar to an offer that was put on the table by employers during the last mediated process by the Labour Court last week, but the deal failed to fly as Amcu leaders would not commit to selling the deal to their members. - Carol Paton