After protracted negotiations the parties to the collective bargaining forum of the Anglo Platinum Group have reached agreement on wages and substantive conditions of employment for 35,000 employees for a two-year period ending June 30th 2004.
The parties have agreed to the following adjustments to conditions of employment:
1. Wage Improvements:
a. Minimum wage of R2000 pm from 1 July 2002 for all categories, and R2300 pm for Underground from 1 July 2003
b. Across the Board salary increases of 9.8% for 2002/3 and 9.25% for 2003/4
2. Housing: Improvements in the Housing Rent and Bond Schemes.
3. An increase in minimum leave for Surface employees to 28 calendar days per annum, and minimum underground leave to 30 calendar days per annum.
4. Harmonisation of a number of shift/standby allowances as well as overtime rates, sick, accident and family responsibility leave.
5. Arrangements pertaining to the introduction of an agency shop.
6. Agreement regarding joint investigation into the issues of:
- Subcontracting and outsourcing
- Structuring of remuneration packages
- Further harmonisation of conditions of service
7. Agreement to jointly develop a framework for dealing with HIV/Aids.
The agreements reached between the parties represent a historic triumph for collective bargaining in that:
- This agreement is the first ever to be concluded in a central bargaining process that involves all 8 union parties, representing the interests of employees in all bargaining units across the Mines Division and Process division, together with the Management of Anglo Platinum. This process is in accordance with an Employee Relations Policy concluded jointly between the parties earlier this year, in terms of which a fundamental restructuring of relationships has occurred based on the principle of partnership between Anglo Platinum and the employee representative bodies.
- The substantive changes to conditions of employment agree to represent an important step in the process of harmonising conditions of employment across all categories of workers in all bargaining units.
- The agreement lays the foundation for two years of industrial stability whilst simultaneously tasking the parties with a range of further key issues to be dealt with in preparation for future negotiations.
- Finally, despite the complexity of a negotiation process involving the interests of eight union parties and the Anglo Platinum management team, the representatives of all parties showed a depth of strategic maturity to continuously search for the all-inclusive settlement which builds on the best traditions of collective bargaining in South Africa.
Jointly issued by Anglo Platinum and the following Unions & Associations:
- Building, Motor, Engineering Allied Workers Union (BMEAWU)
- MWU (Solidarity)
- Mouthpeace Workers Union (MPWU)
- National Employees Trade Union (NETU)
- The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA)
- The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM)
- The Steel Mining and Commercial Workers Union (STEMCWU)
- The United Association of South Africa (UASA)