WAGE negotiations are gaining momentum and to outsiders it would appear that the country is heading for a blistering season of strikes.
Hot on the heels of the strike at large building projects, the 2010 projects in particular, a strike in the chemical industry - which includes the strategic petroleum subsector - will start this week. And in the mining industry the temperature is rising quite rapidly.
At coal mines represented by the Chamber of Mines the increased wage offer stands at 8.5% for the more senior posts and 9.5% for the lower. The unions have not yet declared a dispute, but have rejected this offer.
The strikes by doctors in the public service and at the 2010 projects have drawn considerable attention because doctors do not easily strike and there is a danger that the World Cup soccer tournament could be disrupted.
But the broader picture is that the 70 000 workers at 2010 projects have been on strike for 420 000 days, and it becomes a bad year for strikers when they lose more than a million working days.
However, at gold mines the warning lights have begun to flicker. The most recent meeting was on Wednesday last week.
Collective bargaining is like a boxing match - within the rules and often with a strict referee (the CCMA and the Labour Court), but still a boxing match in which no quarter is asked or given.
And wage negotiations are generally the last round in such a match before a new leaf is turned over in relations between employer and employee. Just like boxers who intimidate each other by strutting, boasting and threatening when they meet face-to-face at weigh-ins, unions use similar tactics.
Open letter
Lesiba Seshoka, ever the genial and helpful spokesperson for the National Union of Mineworkers (Num), last week addressed a public press release in an "open letter" to "Mr and Madam Chamber" (Chamber of Mines) after Wednesday afternoon's round of negotiations in Johannesburg.
What follows is an extract:
"We, the poorest of the poor are requesting that you make an improvement from the current offers of 6.5%, 8 and 10% that you left at the table earlier this week. Food prices are five times the prices they were when you last raised our wages and electricity prices have gone up 31.33%.
"Our children live in dusty squatter camps and in the deep rural villages where they share water with animals. Together we can no longer afford food and the meagre wages you give us are making us sick. Today, they are making us to feel tired and next week we are going to be sick and tired!
"Today, we are asking you Mr or Madam Chamber to raise our wages but next week we are going to DEMAND.
"We are going to demand because you and your other guys owning huge supermarkets are holding us hostage. You always find a reason not to pay us better. Last year it was due to Eskom power cuts that was the problem. The other year it was the gold crisis. This year is the recession.
"Mr or Madam Chamber, we as workers have been in recession for as much as we can remember and have always asked you to come to our rescue. But you have always refused to help. This year, it is your turn to be in recession and you want us to help even though gold is a save haven for investors. We refuse to participate in your recession for we are dealing with our own recession.
"Mr or Madam Chamber, please understand our situation. We do not want to strike because you are going to victimise us with NO WORK, NO PAY and make our recession worse. But if it happens we will victimise you in return with NO PAY, NO WORK."
Seshoka's words are somewhat comical, but also disturbing and honest. Further on he concedes "strike action is not a solution, because our recession and your recession become worse".
He signs it "on behalf on the 150 000 gold miners held hostage in your Barracks".
It may be addressed to the Chamber, but is intended rather for his own members, to mobilise them for a possible strike. In particular, this gives an indication of the tensions prevailing during wage negotiations at a large central bargaining forum in a labour-intensive industry.
The unions had already declared a dispute with the chamber's gold mines on June 11.
The chamber's "final offer" also contains a stipulation that the minimum wage in the mining industry will rise to R4 000/month by the end of 2010, with a living-out allowance that will increase by R100/month to R1 300/month.
"Under the circumstances this is the best we can do," says Dr Elize Strydom, the chamber's negotiator in the gold sector.
With this, the bell has been rung for the final round of the fight...
- Fin24.com