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AMCU set to make a stand at platinum, gold mines Karl Gernetzky, Business Day, Johannesburg, 20 January 2014 THE Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) will down tools this week at the world's top three platinum producers and bring long-awaited pressure to bear on the gold sector. AMCU members voted overwhelmingly on Sunday to strike at the world's largest producer, Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), in a show of hands in a stadium at the platinum belt city of Rustenburg. AMCU in recent days voted to strike at Amplats' rivals, Lonmin and Impala Platinum (Implats). But it appeared to be holding back until receiving a mandate from its members at Amplats. AMCU president Joseph Mathunjwa told Sunday's rally that Amplats would be served notice of the strike on Monday and that workers would down tools on Thursday. The strike notice would be issued at all three producers, as well as in the gold sector - "everywhere AMCU has representation". Mr Mathunjwa had earlier on Sunday swept into the stadium in a brand-new Lexus car, flanked by three burly white bodyguards, to a rock-star welcome and wild cheers from the AMCU members. At Amplats and Lonmin, the union is seeking a minimum wage of R12,500 a month for entry-level workers - more than double current levels, under the populist battle cry of a "living wage". At Implats, the union scaled back its demand late last year to just more than R8,500, although this was on condition of acceptance. AMCU refused to confirm the revised demand. Companies say they can ill afford steep increases as power and other costs soar against the backdrop of depressed prices for the metal, which is used in jewellery and industrial applications such as catalytic converters in motor vehicles. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) announced an end to its 11-week strike at Northam on Friday, accepting a wage increase of up to 9.5% as well as a R3,000 one-off payment spread over two years. "The strike, that was characterised by unity, peace and harmony, has come to an end," the union said on Friday. The NUM started a strike, to back its wage demands, on November 3, with nearly 7,000 of its members at Northam's Zondereinde mine, near Thabazimbi, downing tools at one of the few remaining platinum mines where the union is dominant. No deal has been inked, however, and another meeting between Northam and the NUM is scheduled for Monday. AMCU has expressed its belief emphatically that it has a right to strike in the gold sector. AMCU represents less than 20% of workers in the gold sector, but is the majority union at some of South Africa's largest gold mines, mainly near Carletonville in Gauteng. This includes some of the largest producers of gold in the country, such as AngloGold Ashanti's Mponeng, Harmony's Kusasalethu and Sibanye's Driefontein. The NUM, Solidarity and the United Association of South Africa (Uasa), which collectively represent 72% of employees, settled for a 7.5%-8% wage offer in September with AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields, Harmony Gold, Pan African Resources, Rand Uranium, Sibanye Gold and Village Main Reef. Gold producers, represented by the Chamber of Mines, have been adamant they will treat any strike in the sector as unprotected and would seek an interdict against it. Some legal experts say that despite the Labour Relations Act's provision that agreements reached by a majority can be extended, the issue of representativeness at individual workplaces may open a door for a successful challenge. During a briefing last year ahead of the settlement, representatives of the gold industry had hinted that they saw a settlement with individual unions beyond what ultimately was agreed upon in September as a recipe for disaster. Mr Mathunjwa on Sunday dismissed reports that there was dissent and division within AMCU. Media accusations last week that the union was showing signs of dissent in the leadership were "baseless". Mr Mathunjwa said of the interdict: "Whatever they do, they will do within their rights." The position of AMCU in terms of wage demands came directly from members and was therefore "not negotiable". The union was available for wage talks with producers, and would take any offer back to members, he said. He also dismissed suggestions that some AMCU members were not willing to strike this week, saying "this union is not losing members, it is growing". Sunday's rally, as well as rallies last week, had shown the overwhelming support of AMCU as the "vanguard of the working class". There was no current "acid test" of AMCU's leadership, and "we (AMCU's leadership) have shown repeatedly ... we passed that test, AMCU is full to capacity and behind their demands - demands are from the workers," he said. With Reuters From: http://www.bdlive.co.za/national/labour/2014/01/20/AMCU-set-to-make-a-stand- at-platinum-gold-mines -- -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] . --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "YCLSA Discussion Forum" group. 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