SOUTH AFRICA: An official says South Africa's AMCU union has rejected a 9 percent wage offer from leading platinum producers Anglo American Platinum and Lonmin, adding that a week of industrial action will continue

Record ID: 341254

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: An official says South Africa's AMCU union has rejected a 9 percent wage offer from leading platinum producers Anglo American Platinum and Lonmin, adding that a week of industrial action will continue
  • Date: 30th January 2014
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF MINERS SEATED AT THE STADIUM LISTENING TO AMCU UNION LEADERSHIP UNION LEADERS ADDRESSING THE MINERS MORE OF MINERS SEATED AND LISTENING INSIDE STADIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASSOCIATION OF MINEWORKERS AND CONSTRUCTION UNION (AMCU) OFFICIAL, RUEBEN LESEJANE, SAYING: "The mandate from the employees is that, that offer is not acceptable, so they have mandated the l
  • Embargoed: 14th February 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAHVI8FVLLFFKFOXA3NT3M7Z8J
  • Story Text: South Africa's AMCU union rejected a 9 percent wage offer on Thursday (January 30) from leading platinum producers Anglo American Platinum and Lonmin, ensuring a week of industrial action continues.
    A crowd of miners at a mass meeting near Lonmin's Marikana mine reacted with boos and jeers when told about the offer, a fraction of the 12,500 rand ($1,100) a month the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) has been seeking.

    "The mandate from the employees is that, that offer is not acceptable, so they have mandated the leadership to back to the negotiation and further discuss the issues," said AMCU union official, Rueben Lesejane.
    A union official at Anglo American Platinum, the world's top producer of the precious metal, said the mood there was also sour.
    The strike in the platinum belt has also impacted No. 2 producer Impala Platinum. In all, the strike has hit around 40 percent of the global supply of platinum, used in catalytic converters in cars.
    The impact on a major source of South African foreign exchange has contributed to a major sell-off in the rand currency, which plunged to a five-year low of 11.38 against the dollar on Wednesday (January 29), despite a central bank interest rate hike.

    "The offer that is being made by the employer does not address the issue of the poverty wages to the workers, and the workers have made it very clear to us that they reject completely the offer that has been made by the employer. The issue on the table is 12, 500 (rand)," said Mzwanele Madiba, a striking mine worker.
    South Africa's rand fell to a new five-year low of 11.3900 to the dollar on Thursday after the AMCU union rejected the wage offer.
    The rand was at 11.3650 to the dollar at 0924 GMT, after earlier breaching Wednesday's low of 11.3800.
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