NUM and Cosatu are losing all credibility

[lsuacner]

http://www.miningmx.com/news/platinum_group_metals/union-demands-20-pct-implats-wage-hike.htm

Union wants big Implats pay hike
Allan Seccombe | Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:56
[miningmx.com] -- SOUTH Africa's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is demanding a 20% wage hike from the world's second-largest platinum producer Impala Platinum (Implats) as well as a minimum underground salary of R5,000/month.

The demand from the country's largest mining union comes as labour negotiates a two-year wage settlement with the gold and coal sectors through the Chamber of Mines.

The unions are demanding a 15% wage hike from companies operating in those sectors. The gold companies have offered 6%, prompting the NUM to threaten immediate strike action.

The NUM starts talks with Implats on 17 June and it wants the settlement to be for one year instead of two.

More than two-thirds of South African platinum operations were below water recently, with the platinum price around $1,000/oz and the rand firming against the dollar. Rand strength is detrimental to margins in a sector that has seen the platinum price drop off a cliff to about $750 from last March's high of $2,290.

Platinum producers have cut back expansion projects and mothballed mines as cash flows dwindled. Anglo Platinum and Lonmin have cut nearly 20,000 jobs.

The price has pushed back to $1,240/oz and the rand is at R8.15 to the dollar.

Implats spokesman Bob Gilmour said the company had nothing to say about the NUM statement. "We haven't even spoken to them yet. We need to sit down with them and understand where they're coming from," he said.

South African unions have stepped up the militant tone of their rhetoric recently, threatening strikes across a broad spectrum of private and public sectors unless they get their way.

The NUM said it wanted Implats to bump up its pension fund contribution to 25% from 16.5% and the working week reduced to 40 hours. It wants a transport subsidy of R2,500 per worker.

It is also demanding that Implats "put a moratorium on the employment and promotion of white women until there is a balance in terms of racial demographics".

1. People with professional degrees get paid +-7500 for +- a year tilll they prove themselves at mines if they work on surface compared to what NUM depands @ R5000 basic + R2500 transport subsidy.
2. Revenue has dropped in 1/2.
3. The workers are not more productive.
4. I work more than 40 hrs a week with no additional renumeration.

5. "moratorium on the employment and promotion of white women". If they agree I would sell my shares in the company - you don't get black male or female employees cadidates easily who you can promote in an industry where people's lives are on the line - the lack of experience or competence can kill people.

Mines are under allot of pressure - many departments on surface are under compliment, taking up the slack for an employee hired because of pigmentation rather than skill has serious consequences.

Let it be - the right people black people are there, but few in numbers at this time - EE will be reached and there is no need to force it, at this point in time in RSA people are hired on skill regardless of skin colour.

1. NUM and Cosatu are losing all credibility - they will destroy the long term South African company - mines will close down sooner (less profitable to mine at the end of the life of mine).
2. Jobs will be lost due to NUM and Cosatu - they are creating a very bad business environment.
3. Same as above, they are killing the goose that lays the golden egg.

 

[adrianx]

Cosatu wear too much red for me to take them seriously. They still reckon communism is the greatest invention since sliced bread.

 

[dlk001]

1. People with professional degrees get paid +-7500 for +- a year tilll they prove themselves at mines if they work on surface compared to what NUM depands @ R5000 basic + R2500 transport subsidy.

+- 7500 for +- year is a rip off. Which professional degrees in the mining industry start at these salaries?

Solidarity on May 25 said that it was seeking a 15-20% increase for its members in the gold and coal sector. This excludes a proposal for introduction of 14th salary cheque, scarcity and standby allowances and the calculation of housing allowances.

 

[lsuacner]

+- 7500 for +- year is a rip off. Which professional degrees in the mining industry start at these salaries?

Accountants without articles.

 

[OhGats]

They had credibility? could have fooled me.

OK.. here is a question, what does an underground worker earn? surely they deserve decent remuneration for what is in effect a very dangerous job. Just because somebody has a degree doesnt mean that he automatically should earn a fat salary. Thats always been part of the problem in this country, artisans who do a 4,5 year apprentriceship earned peanuts while somebody who went to uni automatically got lined up for a fat salary.

 

[dlk001]

Accountants without articles.

True, Accountants everywhere generally start off on lower salaries than mining professional degrees like Mining Eng, Geology, Geophysics, Rock Eng, Surveying. Even a strata control officer/observer without a degree starts at a lot more salary than an accountant with a degree.

 

[lsuacner]

They had credibility? could have fooled me.

OK.. here is a question, what does an underground worker earn? surely they deserve decent remuneration for what is in effect a very dangerous job. Just because somebody has a degree doesnt mean that he automatically should earn a fat salary. Thats always been part of the problem in this country, artisans who do a 4,5 year apprentriceship earned peanuts while somebody who went to uni automatically got lined up for a fat salary.

Anyone can do physical labour. Underground at the very lowest earn R3k a month - which is what RSA classifies as high income earners already.

I don't think its possible to live on so little money but if you get housing and food, it could be.

I went to varsity, I am very well qualified and I worked for peanuts for 6 months, given my contribution to the company I think I should earn more. I can't even take leave - I need to give about a month's notice whilest everyone else can give a few days notice.

 

[Empiricism Philosopher]

Bread cost R7 and they get a free house and free other stuff! Instead of demanding more pay let the gov give them free unisa courses and they must only pay admin marking fee of test. Then they can go work like the rest of us!

 

[marine1]

Losing all credibility? Bwahahaha that happened a long time ago.