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Johannesburg -The revised pay demand by Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) of a minimum monthly wage of R12 500 put into effect over four years remains unaffordable, Impala Platinum said on Thursday.
"This still represented a pay rise of about 30% a year," said Impala Platinum CEO Terence Goodlace in a statement.
"This remains completely unaffordable and will have disastrous consequences for our Rustenburg operations and our employees as it will lead to shaft closures and job losses."
Hundreds of striking mine workers employed in the platinum sector marched to the Impala head offices in Illovo to deliver a memorandum of demands.
Amcu leader Joseph Mathunjwa earlier told the mining company's officials that Amcu wanted a response by April 5.
Goldlace however said the company's revised offer tabled recently would increase the minimum monthly guaranteed wages by 26 percent over three years.
"This would result in surface employees’ guaranteed wages increasing from R8,641 to R10,915 and underground employees’ wages increasing from R9,297 to R11,746 over the three year period," he said.
Amcu striking mineworkers arrived in scores of packed buses and gathered at a park in Dunkeld West.
Clad in the union's green t-shirts, they sat attentively and listened to Mathunjwa after they arrived at the destination.
Mathunjwa said Amcu-affiliated members would strike for as long as necessary, despite them being attacked and at times killed.
"We have filed an application with Nedlac [National Economic Development and Labour Council] in Rosebank," said Mathunjwa.
"We want our workers in the gold and coal sectors to join us."
After a long day of protests, which was accompanied by traffic disruptions and road closures, the protesters boarded buses and headed back to their homes.
They left behind litter of ice-cream wrappers, cold drink bottles, tree branches and plastic bags.
