Amcu to unveil pay demands, R12 500 still on cards

Cape Town - In the same week as Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan is set to announce his mini budget, the Association of Mining and Construction Workers Union (Amcu) will make public a “comprehensive and final” set of pay and conditions demands for the platinum sector.  

As expected, the union, which has majority status at Anglo Platinum [JSE:AMS], Impala Platinum [JSE:IPS] and Lonmin [JSE:LON], will maintain its demand for the introduction of a R12 500 a month basic wage.

“We have a full mandate from all our members on the mines and it is recognised that we are the majority union,” said Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa. In this, he clearly spelled out that — in line with established practice — what Amcu members agree regarding wages and benefits for workers on the platinum belt, now goes.

It was also a barely veiled message to the formerly dominant National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) not to try to undermine negotiations between employers and the majority union. The NUM has announced a demand for a 20% across the board pay rise for all miners.

Since the lengthy strike and the accession of Amcu, the lowest paid mine workers now earn roughly R8 600 a month.  While the R12 500 remains a key demand, Amcu will put forward a package this week that will cover not only wages, but a range of new and improved benefits from housing allowances and transport to working hours.