JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Trade unions the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and Solidarity have secured a three-year wage agreement with iron-ore and manganese miner Assmang at its operations in the Northern Cape.
Assmang, a joint venture between Assore and African Rainbow Minerals, operates the Khumani iron-ore mine, the Beeshoek iron-ore mine and the Black Rock manganese mines.
The agreement will see lowest-earning mineworkers across the operations receive an 8% increase in the first and second year and 7% in the third year.
The lowest paid employee currently earns R15 284.88 on a total package, which will increase to R16 507.67 on the 8% increase in the first year, the NUM said in a statement on Tuesday.
The agreement also outlined the payment of a one-off R10 000 tax-free cash allowance for the members, an increase in family responsibility leave to five days and maternity and medical-related travel assistance provisions.
Assmang will also pay an underground allowance of R600 a month for the first year, R650 for the second year and R700 for the third year.