JOHANNESBURG - Wage negotiations between three workers unions and South African gold producers will continue next week after parties failed to reach an agreement once again on Wednesday on the sixth round of negotiations, companies have said.
Talks between AngloGold Ashanti and Sibanye-Stillwater, and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), Solidarity and UASA resumed on Wednesday and parties continued to engage in bilateral discussions as companies said good progress was made.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) pulled out and declared a dispute.
Unions have rejected the revised three-year wage offers of up to 7.2 percent salary increases made by South African gold producers. They are demanding a R9,500 salary for above-the-surface employees and R10,500 for entry-level underground staff over and above a housing allowance of R5,000.
Gold producers AngloGold Ashanti, Harmony, Sibanye-Stillwater and Village Main Reef tabled offers ranging from 6 percent to 7.2 percent for category 4 underground employees, and 3.5 percent and 4.5 percent increases for miners, artisans and officials.