JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) on Thursday stood firm on its demand for a basic wage increase to reach an entry-level salary of R12 500 over the next four years, as about 5 000 of its members marched to platinum miner Lonmin’s offices in Melrose Arch to hand over a memorandum.

Addressing the union’s members AMCU president Joseph Mathunjwa said when Lonmin CEO Ben Magara visited the company’s mines in Rustenburg, in August last year, he promised that he would address the miners’ demand of R12 500, however, this had not happened.

He added that there had also been rumours that Lonmin was willing to offer a 15% increase.

However, Mathunjwa said this offer had not come through the correct channels and, therefore, accused the company of trying to sow division within the union.

He further said AMCU was demanding that Lonmin deliver on Magara’s “promise of R12 500” and that the union, therefore, would not accept a 15% increase if it was offered.

Accepting the memorandum from AMCU – which included demands relating to wage increases, better living conditions, poor transformation within the company and social and labour plans which, according to AMCU, were not benefitting the mining communities – Magara said, given the economic environment the union’s demand was unaffordable.

He called on AMCU to negotiate on the company’s offer of a 9% increase in good faith.

“We remain available to resolve this issue as no one is benefitting from the strike, not the workers and not the employer. The world is watching us taking each other into poverty. You have shown your strength but now [we need to] come together,” Magara said.

However, Mathunjwa immediately responded saying that the union would “never negotiate on 9%” as its mandate remained R12 500.

“You can go to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration with your offer but we [will] stick to the demand of R12 500 over four years,” he said.

Mathunjwa stated that the union would give the company until April 9 to respond to the petition.

Meanwhile, he also said, should one of the three platinum producers at which AMCU was striking close a shaft, the union would declare a solidarity strike at all three miners’ operations.

“We forewarn you, if you close one of the shafts, there will not be a single shaft you can operate. If Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) closes one shaft, Lonmin will also not operate. We will have mass solidarity in our strikes and all the platinum mines will be back to square one,” Mathunjwa said.

He also stated that the union would next week march to the British Embassy, in Pretoria, and to Parliament, in Cape Town, the week after.

“[Lonmin] is listed in London and, therefore, it is relevant to give the [British High Commission] the petition detailing the exploitation of their companies on our soil,” Mathunjwa explained.

The AMCU platinum strike was currently in its tenth week with more than R5-billion in employee earnings and R11-billion in company revenue lost to date.