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Unions have announced they are gearing up for a "massive strike" at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold operations as they move to ballot workers after protracted wage negotiations.
The balloting will commence at 04:00 on 1 March and the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has agreed to oversee the process, Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) general secretary Jeff Mphahlele announced at a press conference on Thursday.
In mid-January, the CCMA issued a certificate of non-resolution in respect of the dispute conciliation process between the company and a coalition of unions, comprising AMCU, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Solidarity and UASA.
Negotiations have however continued outside of the CCMA as parties appear reluctant to strike.
Pressure to sign a deal was also temporarily alleviated when, at the end of last year, Sibanye back-paid employees in line with an offer for the months of July, August September, October and November.
Last week, however, talks ground to a halt again as the parties failed to come to an agreement.
Against a wage demand of R1 000 per year for three years, Sibanye’s final offer to Category 4 to 8 employees is an increase of R700 in each year. Employees have also been offered a R100 increase in the living out allowance in each year. Unions however say the living-out allowance applies to a minority of employees.
Miners, artisans and officials have been offered an increase of 5% in each of the three years against a demand of 6%.
With a strike certificate in handing and picketing rules established, unions need only give 48 hours’ notice before embarking on a strike. But first a ballot must be conducted to gauge worker appetite for a strike.
"Unions are highly disappointed in the intimidation tactics of Sibanye-Stillwater who has been deploying armoured vehicles ... and thousands of security personnel at its operations in an attempt to scare workers," Mphahlele claimed.
"We fail to understand how these mining bosses can be so arrogant as to splash money on militaristic and heavy-handed security forces when we are dealing with a simple labour dispute. Why don’t they rather spend these millions on paying the workers what is due to them?"
NUM acting general secretary Willie Mabapa said workers rejected the final offer from the company at a mass meeting on Sunday, triggering the need to commence with balloting ahead of a strike.
Mphahlele said the balloting outcome will not be influenced by intimidation and will demonstrate a free and fair process.
