“Mining Weekly reports that gold producer Sibanye Gold confirmed on Monday that the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) had served notice that it would begin a pay strike on Wednesday”.

Comment:

Failing agreement over ‘interest’ issues, as opposed to disputes of ‘right’ the parties are allowed to engage in protected coercive industrial action, commonly referred to as striking and locking out.  Neither the government nor the law correctly prevents the ‘free market’ from operating, subject to certain limitations to ensure orderly collective bargaining.  Recently the LAC held that a collective agreement covering the combined workplaces of three large gold mines should be treated as one large workplace.  See Collective agreement: Lawfully extended to non-party.  The Chamber of Mines concluded a collective agreement with the unions with majority support in the combined workplace.  The agreement was extended to all workplaces, despite Amcu having majority support in only one smaller workplace.  Amcu now wants to force Sibanye to pay even more at that mine.  It should be an interesting ‘game’ to watch. Sibanye digs in as Amcu opts for protected wage strike: on SA Labour News yesterday.

Sibanye described Amcu’s strike declaration as “unfortunate”, particularly in view of its members already benefiting from increases that three other unions – the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Solidarity and UASA – had not only agreed to, but also secured with beneficial backdating.  All employees, including Amcu members, were paid the wage increases, retrospective from July 2015, “in the interest of a harmonious working environment and sustainable operations”.  Against that background, the company indicated it was adamant that the already implemented wage increases were “final” and that the strike decision taken by Amcu would “not yield a different outcome”.  Sibanye CEO Neal Froneman said:  “We have developed robust plans to manage the potential impact of strike action at our operations and will implement these plans accordingly.”  “We’re ready for this battle,” Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa commented, vowing to in due course bring the entire gold sector to a standstill”.

  • Read this report in full at Mining Weekly

  • See too, Mathunjwa in full cry as Amcu confirms Sibanye strike, at Miningmx

  • And also, Sibanye will not bow to Amcu pay demands, says CEO, at Fin24

  • As well as, Amcu se staking ‘gaan niks verander nie’: Froneman, at Netwerk24