Ahead of a looming industrial action at its gold operations in the country, South African mining company Sibanye-Stillwater on Monday said it will meet unions to discuss issues at stake.
The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), which has been mediating between the two sides, cleared the unions to give strike notice a month ago after declaring a stalemate in wage negotiations.
A Sibanye spokesperson said a meeting with unions would take place this week, but did not specify a date.
South Africa’s major unions, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Solidarity and UASA have been negotiating as a united coalition for the first time.
NUM spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu said on Monday that a Sunday meeting of NUM, AMCU, and UASA workers had rejecte Sibanye’s latest wage offer.
“They rejected it. The majority voted to embark on a strike,” Mammburu said.
He further explained that the coalition of unions would only serve Sibanye with a 48-hour strike notice after meeting the company’s management if the deadlock remains.
The unions’ demand of 1,000 rand a month ($65.95) increases for each of the three years remained unchanged,said Mammburu.
Sibanye’s final offer, tabled on February 4, would increase underground workers’ wages by 800 rand a month ($52.76) in each of the three years under negotiation. Artisans and officials, would get 5% increases over the same period.