Workers from the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (GIWUSA) have initiated industrial action at the Annesley Andalusite Mine located in Penge, outside Burgersfort in Limpopo.
They are advocating for a 12.5% salary increase, improved working conditions, and compensation for overtime, among other demands. However, the employer is offering only a 6.5% salary raise.
The impasse between the workers and the employer resulted in the workers downing their tools following unsuccessful negotiations at the CCMA.
Workers representing the miners stress the necessity of a livable wage due to the soaring cost of living.
Mokoena says, “Since I was working here from 2010.. we are earning low money. Our basic is not reaching R10 000, at least if we can get the basic salary to R10 000 because nowadays our children have a lot of demands and even us we have a lot of demands … We need the12% increase and conops (concept of operations) allowance and night shift allowances and housing allowances until everything is done.”
Despite attempts to obtain a comment from the Imerys mining company, the owner of Annesley Andalusite Mine, no response has been received as yet.
GIWUSA Secretary Teddy Thobakgale alleges that although the mine is profitable, it refuses to adequately compensate its workers.
Thobakgale stated, “We have tabled the demands. Initially, they were proposals but now they have reached a state whereby they have become demands after we have reported them at the CCMA… The demands were 12.5% increase. Then the other one we are demanding a job grading processes for employees that are working in the mine for fair remuneration because currently where we are we are struggling because we realised that those that are working in the mine are just remunerated based on favour.”
