NUM signed a wage agreement with Northam Platinum

Press Statement, 21 January 2014

NUM signed a wage agreement with Northam Platinum

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) had signed a wage agreement today with Northam Platinum management.

Following the acceptance of the offer by our members last week Friday, the cleaning up of the agreement was yesterday ( 20th Monday). We met with Northam Platinum management yesterday under the auspices of CCMA to make sure that all the issues that the two parties had agreed upon are included in the wage agreement.

The meeting with management took the whole day. The outcomes of the meeting with the management were communicated to our members today during a mass meeting. Our members again overwhelmingly accepted the offer by Northam Platinum management.

Our members will report for duty tomorrow in the the morning. 

Northam Platinum management improved their offer by 0,5%. This take their total offer to 9,5% for Core workers and 8.5% for non core workers for category 2-8 employees. They further proposed 9% for living out allowance. This is a proposal of two years. 

For category 9-10 the company propose 7,5% for non core employees and 8 % for core employees. 7 % for living out allowance. This is also a two year proposed agreement.

The R3000 once-off payment that was proposed by the management will now be included as an exgracia payment for 23 months and then added on employees basic salaries on the 24th Month. This means R125,00 for every month for a period of 23 months and be added on the basic on the 24th month on catergory 2-8 and category 9-10. This is the alternative proposal that we could not divulge in our last statement that we issued.

This takes the overall increase on basic wages to between 9,8 and 11,8%

Once more we take this opportunity thank the public for the overwhelming support,churches for their prayers and the media for cooperation.

NUM will never allow a situation where our members risk their precious life, deep down the surface of the earth in searing heat to earn poverty wages. It is unacceptable.

This has been a peaceful, bloodless and effective legal strike.The NUM maintains that violence strikes are unnecessary and they should never be allowed to replace dialogue. We truly thank our members for their discipline during this tough and difficult industrial action here at Northam Platinum Limpopo.

We further reiterate our call that the board of Northam Platinum must intervene. We cannot afford a situation where every round of wage negotiations in this company is settled by a long strike and this is not sustainable.

For more information, please contact

Ecliff Tantsi- (Chief Negotiator)-082 941 4210
Livhuwani Mammburu: 083 809 3257 (Acting NUM National spokesperson)

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