Solidarity welcomes the announcement by the Chamber of Mines that no further bilateral or collective negotiations will take place at this year’s gold negotiations.

On this coming Thursday, 30 July, the Chamber will present its final offer to trade unions. Currently the negotiations are dragging along due to strategic positioning and unproductive negotiation practices.

Solidarity General Secretary Gideon du Plessis said the trade union does not foresee that the Chamber’s final offer will be accepted by organised labour and therefore believes that a strike is a strong possibility. “Solidarity urges the Chamber to present a fair wage offer and to raise the retirement age for all workers to 63. This will enable us to consider the Chamber’s offer favourably,” Du Plessis said.

Issued by Solidarity