CoM confirms dispute over move to decentralised coal wage negotiations

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The Chamber of Mines (CoM) on Wednesday confirmed that it was unable to reach agreement with representative unions in the coal mining sector regarding the future structure and form of wage negotiations in the sector.

The chamber noted that the coal companies it represents, namely Anglo American Coal, Msobo Coal, Delmas Coal, Exarro Coal Mpumalanga, Kangra Coal, Koornfontein Mines and Glencore Operations South Africa, had previously indicated their intention to negotiate wages and terms and conditions of employment on a decentralised basis with effect from this year.

The representative unions – Solidarity, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and Uasa – have, however, declared a dispute with the CoM.

Solidarity on Tuesday accused the chamber of negotiating in bad faith, saying it had gone against its stated mandate to continue with centralised negotiations as communicated to trade unions earlier this month.

Solidarity deputy general secretary of the mining industry Connie Prinsloo on Wednesday called on the chamber and coal-mining companies to reconsider their decision to move to decentralised negotiations.

“It is of key importance that those who are mandating both these players reconsider their shortsightedness, which is unsettling labour relations, in order to avert a possible strike in the coal mining sector."

The NUM has said it plans to organise a strike across the coal mining sector in light of the decision to move to decentralised negotiations.

The CoM said it remains open to further engagements with the unions on the matter.

“As a member-representative organisation, the CoM has engaged with the unions on the basis of its members’ interests and mandates, and has done so with a view to reaching a mutually agreeable outcome, based on a relationship founded on mutual respect. The chamber will continue to act on this basis,” it said in a statement.