The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) has reached and signed a settlement agreement with AngloGold Ashanti following months of negotiations in the on-going gold sector wage talks.

Today, AMCU announced that it had reached a settlement with the Gold Company, that tabled an offer close to what its members had mandated. Towards the later stages of the negotiations it was AngloGold Ashanti that emerged with an offer that encouraged further engagements to find common ground.

AMCU headed into the negotiations with a mandate from its members of achieving no less than a R1 000 increment on the basic wages of workers. The resilience, determination and persistence of the Union in impacting the lives of workers throughout the country culminated in the signing of an offer that was in-line with these objectives.

Anglo tabled an offer in which it gave workers an increment of R1 000-a-year over the three-year wage agreement. Furthermore, AMCU achieved a 6.5% increase for Miners, Artisans and Officials – 0,5% more than the mandated 6%. This new wage agreement means that in three-years-time there will be no worker at AngloGold Ashanti earning less than R14 000 even at entry level. This is monumental achievement in the South African mining labor market. 

Other demands achieved by AMCU included four months paid maternity leave for female employees.

“This day is a symbol of what AMCU can do in all sectors. We are here to make a difference in the lives of workers and impact their livelihoods positively. AMCU is a progressive Union and believes that unions need to unite to fight a capitalist system that erodes the rights of workers,” said AMCU President Joseph Mathunjwa.

“We did it in the Platinum sector and we have taken significant strides with the gold sector. We will remain resolute in the fight to empower workers and to ensure that our members live in dignity,” he added.

His sentiment were shared by AMCU General Secretary, Jimmy Gama. “We are happy to announce that we have finally reached an agreement with AngloGold Ashanti that will benefit our members and improve their lives greatly”.

“As AMCU we were given a mandate by our members and AngloGold Ashanti emerged as the only company that negotiated in good faith. Our engagements have continued progressively to this point, where we have reached a settlement that we believe will impact the lives of our members.”

“We can only hope that other mine companies can follow the same precedent as we continue in the conciliation processes with them,” added Gama.

Since the commencement of the wage talks in June this year, AMCU has declared disputes with Harmony, Village Main Reef and Sibanye Stillwater. The Union is currently in conciliation processes with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) in an effort to reach common ground with the three mining companies with regards to the wage demands of the mine workers.

 

Issued by AMCU