As a likely strike looms at Sibanye Stillwater’s gold mines, the company has hit back at unions’ criticism that it was offering lower wage offers than other gold miners.
The company says it cannot afford to pay the wages that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Solidarity, Union of Associations of South Africa (Uasa) and Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) are demanding.
Sibanye Stillwater gave workers a three-year wage offer, which included increases of R480 a month in year one, R570 in year two and R600 in year three for certain categories of surface and underground workers. Artisans and officials are being offered increases of 4.1% in year one and 4.7% in year two, as well as year three.