* Agree to hike wages by up to 5 pct at entry level
* Deal to stem unrest and threat to dominant union
* Other miners get 2,000 rand once-off payment
By Agnieszka Flak
JOHANNESBURG, Nov 7 (Reuters) – Coal companies in South
Africa signed a surprise wage deal with unions on Wednesday in
an effort to avoid a wave of deadly illegal strikes that have
rocked the country’s gold and platinum sectors.
The Chamber of Mines said the companies, which include Anglo
American, had agreed to raise certain entry-level wages
by up to 5 percent and offered one-off payments to higher
categories of workers.
The main wage agreements in the coal sector do not expire
until the middle of next year, but militant unions have ignored
existing contracts in platinum and gold, leading to rolling
wildcat action that has led to the killing of over 50 people so
far this year, most of them shot dead by police.
Phillemon Motlhamme, deputy head for industrial relations at
the chamber, said the body that represents the industry was
approached by unions in September to ensure that illegal strikes
would not spread to coal.
“The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the other two
unions asked how we can strengthen our collective bargaining
framework and ensure continuous stability in the coal sector,”
he said.
Continued…
