JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Mining companies Lonmin, Anglo American Platinum and Impala Platinum (Implats) on Thursday continued talks with the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), after the union this week made “unaffordable” new demands beyond an “in-principle” deal struck with producers last week.
AMCU last week put a broad pay offer agreed to “in principle” with producers, to its members in a bid to end the 21-week-old strike.
While the striking miners urged union leaders to accept the salary increases offered, they voiced concerns about the timeframe of the agreement and other benefits, such as housing allowances.
In a written response to the companies earlier this week, the union, however, had additional demands, which included a R3 000 “come-back bonus” and a moratorium on all restructuring and retrenchments.
The platinum trio said in a joint statement on Wednesday the new demands would set them back a combined R1-billion in addition to the in principle agreements.
According to a website run by the three companies, the strike has so far cost them R23-billion in revenue, while workers have lost R10-billion in wages.