The ball is in Sibanye-Stillwater’s court, say mineworkers’ unions

Talks between unions representing striking miners in Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold sector and the company remained on the brink on Tuesday.

Following a standoff Monday night at one of the Commission on Arbitration, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) after the mining company rejected a counter-offer from the National Union of Mineworkers (Num) and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), the parties arrived on met Tuesday morning.

The unions stuck to Monday’s counter-offer while company officials took an extended break to discuss their position.

AmcuGeneral Secretary Jeffrey Mphahlele , who attended Tuesday’s meeting, said they would wait for Sibanye-Stillwater as the unions’ position had not changed.

“We are waiting to hear what the position of Si banye-Stillwater is,” Mphahlele said.

Num spokeswoman Livhuwani Mammburu said, “I It’s up to Sibanye-Stillwater. If they want the strike to end, they have a counter-offer that we’ve put on the table.”

Another insider at the meeting said the unions hoped Sibanye-Stillwater would reconsider its position would.

“Sibanye-Stillwater officials have taken a campaign break, but the unions are where they were last night in terms of position,” the insider said.

< span>The counter offer Workers would have received an increase of R800 in the first year, a one-off payment of R3,000 and a 5% increase for civil servants and tradesmen.

Sibanye-Stillwater had proposed a R700 increase, a one-off payment of R3,000 and a 5% increase for civil servants and tradesmen, which was rejected by unions on Monday.

For the second and third year Sibanye-Stillwater offered a R1,000 and R900 increase respectively and a 5% increase for the other workers categories, while the unions’ counter-offer was a 5.5% increase for the other categories in both the second and third years of the proposed multiannual wage increase agreement.

The difference between what Sibanye-Stillwater is offering and what the unions are asking for is R100 per month and a 0.5% increase for other professions in year two and three.

< p>The company and workers have lost more than two months of operating expenses and wages since mid-March in the wage rise dispute.

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