The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) is demanding R17,000 a month for miners in the platinum sector as wage talks with the biggest producers start.
Amcu, which has used R12,500 a month as its rallying call since 2012 when it rose to prominence in the platinum industry, has adjusted its base demand to R17,000 a month because of inflation, said the union's president, Joseph Mathunjwa.
Amcu's demands include provisions around housing, provident funds, transport, medical aids and other issues, which Mathunjwa said amount to a total demand of R30,000 per worker.
"This is a drop in the ocean compared to what CEOs earn per hour," he said, adding that Amcu represents about 60,000 workers in the platinum wage talks.
Mathunjwa noted the strong increase in palladium and rhodium prices since 2017 at a media briefing ahead of the start of wage talks with Sibanye-Stillwater, Anglo American Platinum and Impala Platinum, SA's three largest platinum group metal producers.
"It's high time the bosses share their hyper-profits with the workers who are toiling every day," he said.
- BusinessLIVE
