Share

Battle for R12 500 not over, says Mathunjwa

Johannesburg - No platinum worker will earn less than R8 000 as a basic salary, Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) president Joseph Mathunjwa said in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

"No worker in the platinum sector will earn less than R8 000 as a basic salary which is a breakthrough... Back pay will be paid in seven days," he told reporters.

Mathunjwa said Amcu would continue the fight for R12 500 which it believed each member would earn by 2017.

"[This] is the highest wage increase achieved, with entry-level workers receiving up to 18% increase.

"Amcu is committed to make sure R12 500 minimum wage is reached by 2017."

When asked how he felt about being called a communist by some, Mathunjwa said: "As long as it brings food on the table, that is what is important".

Workers were expected to return to work on Wednesday at Anglo Platinum (Amplats) [JSE:AMS], Impala Platinum (Implats) [JSE:IMP] and Lonmin [JSE:LON].

"The platinum sector workers have fought a good fight. It has transformed the sector to be worker-driven [and] has improved the socio-economic conditions of our members."

Mathunjwa said no workers would be retrenched and the union would not strike on any of the matters included in the three agreements.

"[The companies] cannot embark on a restructuring process because they need to bring the mine [back] into productivity."

He said the union had not received anything from the companies about restructuring.

All workers who had been dismissed would be reinstated, including 235 essential services workers Lonmin fired in May.

A task team would be set up to address all issues not concluded during negotiations.

On January 23, Amcu members at Lonmin, Amplats, and Implats downed tools, demanding a monthly basic salary of R12 500.

Amcu announced on Monday that the platinum strike was officially over. It signed a wage agreement on Tuesday.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.90
+0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.86
+0.2%
Rand - Euro
20.36
+0.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.31
+0.3%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.2%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders