The Chamber of Mines make a final wage offer to the gold mines

Today AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields and Rand Uranium made a final offer to the unions. These companies are negotiating at the Chamber of Mines under the auspices of the CCMA. The offer included increasing the minimum entry level wage for underground employees to R4000 by the end of R2010. In addition, the companies offered to increase the wages of other employees by 8.5% as from 1 July 2009. As from 1 July 2010, an offer was made of a wage increase of CPI plus 1%, with a minimum guaranteed increase of 6%.

These increments are in addition to other offers with significant cost implications including an increase in the minimum living out allowance to R1300 per month for this year, with a further R100.00 to be given in 2010. The companies also offered to provide alternative surface employment to all underground pregnant employees doing risk work.

Harmony Gold has made a package of offers to the unions which includes a bonus linked to the performance of the gold price, in an attempt to balance employment opportunities, the sustainability of marginal operations and employee expectations.

 “We believe that our final offer achieves a good balance between the sustainability of the companies and the demands of the unions. It is the best we can do under the circumstances”, said Dr Elize Strydom who negotiates on behalf of Gold mining companies.

For any enquiries related to this media statement please contact:

Jabu Maphalala
Deputy Communications Adviser
Chamber of Mines of South Africa