The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is ready to face-off with the gold sector companies negotiating under auspices of the Minerals Council South Africa, this coming Wednesday, 11 July 2018 at the Birchwood Conference Centre in Boksburg. The wage negotiations are starting at 10 am.
The NUM will approach the wage negotiations with much agility and determination on the following demands:
1. Wages
- Entry level on surface : R9 500
- Entry level underground : R10 500
- Officials : 15% across board
2. Housing
- Living out allowance : R3 000
- Housing allowance : R5 000
3. Allowances
- Shif allowance : 12%
- Night shift allowance : 12%
- Calendar premium : 15% (AGA, PanAf)
- Standby allowance : 10%
- Transport allowance : R450
- Acting allowance : 100% of the salary of the position
- Long service award : R2 000 for each year of service paid at 5 year interval
- Workers utilising conveyor belt : R2 500 monthly allowance
4. Leave
- Annual leave days to be a minimum of 35 days
- Maternity leave to be a minimum of 6 months fully paid by the employer
- Family responsibility leave to be a minimum of 10 days
- Ante-natal and post-natal leave to be a minimum of 10 days
- Compassionate leave to be a minimum of 5 days
- Paternity leave to be a minimum of 10 days
- Study leave to be a minimum of 3 days per subject
- Sick leave to be increased to 120 days over a 2 year period
- Accident leave to be unlimited
- Sick leave due to occupational disease to be unlimited
5. Medical incapacity
- R75 000 on being declared medically incapacitated
- Employers to take responsibility for medical costs of employees repatriated as a result of injury on duty or occupational disease
6. Funeral benefit
- Principal member, spouse and children 14-21 years : R40 000
- Children 6-13 years : R25 000
- Stillborn children : R15 000
- Transport to funeral (fatal accident/ occupational disease death)
7. Severance pay
- Four weeks for every year of service
- A minimum severance package of R45 000 from R30 000
8. Sub-contractors
- Mines to cease using sub-contractors for non-specialised work
9. Meal allowance
- R120 per day
10. Medical Aid
- Employer contribution : 70%
- Employee contribution : 30%
- Increase the choice to 3 medical aid schemes
11. Service increment
- Annual service increment of 2%
12. Category 4 and 5 supervisors
- To be upgrade to category 7
13. Mainline/ Double header loco drivers (PanAF/ AGA)
- To be upgraded to C1
14. Mourning for fatalities
- The day long service to be held within 7 days of the accident happening
- Employees to clock in between 07h00 and 09h00 and clock out between 14h00 and 15h00
15. Duration of the agreement
- The term of this agreement shall be two years.
As the NUM, we have always maintained that wages in the mining sector remained too low, and that was as a result of apartheid legacy when the black mining labour force was ruthlessly exploited. The NUM also maintained that our average member typically has ten dependants, straining their ability to provide for their families.
We expect the employers to negotiate in good faith whilst respecting the central bargaining forum.
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