CAPE TOWN: STRIKE season is approaching and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) set the asking bar high on Wednesday when it tabled its wage demands in the gold and coal sectors.
This surprised no one as the union has become known for what industry watchers view as near-impossible demands in a sector beset by tough market and operating conditions. Amcu wants, among other things, a R12,500 basic wage. The National Union of Mineworkers has not made its demands public.
The industry has suffered thousands of job losses. Mineral Resources Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi is scheduled to give an update on Thursday on the outcome of a meeting with industry stakeholders about the job cuts. Formal negotiations between the government and 1.3-million of its employees could reach a climax on Friday, which could set off this winter’s strike season, depending on the outcome.
