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Johannesburg - The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Thursday it had signed a three-year wage deal with Northam Platinum for increases of up to 17% for its lowest paid members.
Northam said in a statement that the deal only applied to workers at its Zondereinde mine, which accounts for most of the company's production.
NUM, which is currently in wage talks in the gold sector, said the deal will see the basic minimum monthly wage for surface workers rise by R1 000 to R6 981, an increase of about 17%.
For underground workers, the bulk of the workforce, the increases for entry-level workers will be 13% in the first year, followed by annual hikes of 11.6% and 10.5%. Other categories will get wage rises of at least 7.5% in the first year.
Inflation in South Africa stood at 4.7% in June.
The platinum industry is under pressure with prices at 6½ lows below $1 000 an ounce. But Northam's balance sheet is in fairly good shape and the company said in May it could spend R4bn to buy additional assets.
