De Beers and NUM to sign wage deal

| Thursday June 3, 2010 00:00

The wage deal includes, among other agreements, a 10 percent wage increment and an 8% shift allowance.Initially, workers demanded a 15 percent wage increase, while the diamond company was offering an 8 percent hike in wages.

'This is an important offer and achievement for workers given that we have already achieved the R5 000 minimum at De Beers,' said NUM chief negotiator, Peter Bailey.

'We also hope that De Beers has learnt that two is company and three is a crowd, as such we could have achieved all this without threats of strike action or the intervention of a third party, in this case the CCMA [the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration],' commented Bailey.

De Beers industrial relations head, Wayne Smerdon, said that the company had settled the current wage negotiations amicably. He noted that the matter was taken to the CCMA by the NUM and not, as suggested, by the company.

No strike certificate, which the CCMA might issue owing to non-resolution of a dispute, was ever issued.

Nevertheless, Smerdon said that De Beers appreciated the mediation role carried out by the CCMA. 'We sought to find common ground with the NUM negotiating team and we reached that point last week. The settlement affects 1, 587 employees in the bargaining unit on De Beers' five mines in South Africa.'

Smerdon said that there had been no disruption to the mines, or to the livelihood of De Beers' employees.

'The company looks forward to a year focused on recovering from the recession, and building a robust business wherein every employee contributes meaningfully,' concluded Smeardon.-(Miningweekly)