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Amcu demands more pay from Amplats

Johannesburg - The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) is demanding that Anglo American Platinum [JSE:AMS] increase the pay of underground workers to R12 500, according to a document seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

Amcu has emerged as the dominant union on the platinum belt after a violent turf war last year with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) that killed around 50 people.

Amcu gave Glencore Xstrata a seven-day ultimatum on Friday to rehire more than 1 000 workers fired at chrome mines for wildcat protests or face unspecified action.

The protests, launched in solidarity with a worker who said he was assaulted by a supervisor in an incident which has taken on racial overtones, are part of a wave of labour unrest that has shaken the mining sector in the world's top platinum producer.

Amplats, the platinum arm of Anglo American [JSE:AGL] and the world's biggest producer of the precious metal, said in May that it would cut 6 000 jobs at its Rustenburg mines, a major reduction from an initial plan to slash 14 000 positions that triggered outrage from the government.

Economist Chris Hart said last week that the wage demands set by Amcu will force the industry to slim down and cut staff.

Amcu is shooting itself in the foot because the demands are unrealistic, he said.


Hart also said that protest action will be useless because the union would be striking for something that is unattainable.

Amcu demanded a 100% hike in sectoral wages last Tuesday ahead of annual wage negotiations.

- Fin24

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