Over 100 mine workers at China Precious Metal Company (CAPM) in Orkney near Klerksdorp in the North West remain underground in a sit-in and are demanding a 15 % wage increase.
Officials of the National Union of Mineworkers (Num) and the mine’s management are locked in negotiations underground to find a solution to the wage deadlock and bring the miners back to surface.
Management is offering workers an 8% increase and says it cannot afford a higher increase.
Num’s Livhuwani Mamburu says they have been engaging with the mine since September 2018 about the wage increase and other related matters.
“There was a memorandum that was reached where the company says that they can offer 8% wage increase and also address the issue of job grading. The workers are also saying that they want a living out allowance. So the president of the Num took that memorandum to the workers underground to get a mandate. So the workers have turned down the offer of 8% , they want the issue of job grading to be linked to positions that if you are a team leader that 8% must be linked to your position. “ Click below for more on the story: