AMCU only negotiated for a mere R25 wage increase and nothing else.

NUM Press Statement, 11 April 2016

AMCU only negotiated for a mere R25 wage increase and nothing else.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is shocked by AMCU's lies that they have negotiated for the R700 salary increases with Sibanye Gold. It is not true, AMCU only negotiated for an R25 that was negotiated outside the central bargaining forum which is the Chamber of Mines.

The R25 rand negotiated by AMCU cannot be integrated into the wage agreement signed by the NUM, UASA, and Solidarity because AMCU was not part of that agreement. AMCU members are already benefitting from the agreement that was negotiated and signed by the NUM, UASA, and Solidarity which is R675 rand per month.

The truth is that in the second round of the wage negotiations last year at the Chamber of Mines, AMCU declared a dispute. They cannot now claim that the R675 which was signed by the NUM and other two unions is their achievement. The Chamber of Mines during the second round of negotiations made their initial offer of R500 and AMCU decided to declare a dispute and went to shoot a documentary in their caucus room. AMCU can only claim R25 which the employer want to add to the R675 to make R700 that they now claim to have achieved. It is a lie.

If Sibanye Gold wants to amend the agreement signed by the NUM and other two unions, they must go back to the Chamber of Mines for further wage negotiations and amendments to the agreement.

The NUM is extremely disappointed that the media is being misled and report the lies without doing their own investigation.

When the NUM signed an agreement with Sibanye Gold last year, Sibanye Gold made it clear that it would never reopen negotiations with AMCU or with any other union. They have now reopened negotiations with their baby AMCU and offered them R25 rand outside the central bargaining forum after AMCU served Sibanye Gold with a notice to strike.

The NUM is going to write a letter to the Chamber of Mines to demand that Sibanye Gold reopens the wage negotiations and the NUM will retable its initial demands. Sibanye Gold seems to have a lot of money to throw around. NUM members also want that money because they are being paid poverty wages. The NUM will definitely demand the reopening of wage negotiations with Sibanye Gold at the Chamber of Mines.

For more information, please contact:

David Sipunzi: NUM General Secretary: 082 883 7293
Livhuwani Mammburu: NUM National Spokesman: 083 809 3257

The National Union of Mineworkers
7 Rissik Street.
Cnr Frederick Johannesburg
Tel: 011 377 2111 Cell: 083 809 3257
Twitter: @Num_Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/NUM/100860023402167