While precious and battery metals miner Sibanye-Stillwater undertakes wage negations with organised labour, it reiterates that, for the company to remain in a position where it can continue to support the livelihoods of its gold mining employees and communities, it is important to reach an agreement that is fair, will benefit employees and ensure the long-term sustainability of its gold operations.

Ensuring these factors will also help Sibanye contribute to the national fiscus and support the many stakeholders that depend on it, it says in a statement.

The unions, which have already entered into wage agreements with other gold producers in South Africa, but that remain in negotiations with Sibanye, include the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, the National Union of Mineworkers, Solidarity and UASA.

This process is currently taking place under the auspices of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration – a process that has been followed during many wage negotiations both at a centralised collective bargaining level and during company-level negotiations across the various commodities before.

This process, Sibanye says, enables parties a further opportunity to “find each other” and in most cases leads to a positive outcome. “We will continue to engage with unions throughout this process to reach a constructive outcome,” the miner says in a statement.

As such, Sibanye calls on all stakeholders to make “informed decisions in the best interest of the sustainability” of its operations and the gold mining industry’s collective future.

However, the miner states that informed decisions can only be made if facts are known and acknowledged by all parties.

Sibanye reveals that, on average, an entry-level employee of the company receives a guaranteed monthly income of R16 036 and that the guaranteed income of a Category 4 underground employee has doubled since 2012.

Guaranteed income comprises basic pay, holiday leave and living-out allowances, and contributions to a provident fund.

Taking this into account, Sibanye points out that 49% of its gold mining operational costs go towards labour, while the cost of electricity comprises 20%.

In addition, the miner states that many stakeholders depend on its operations and that it “can only” support the livelihoods of employees and communities “if our gold operations are sustainable”.

“We will continue to communicate honestly and openly,” Sibanye states.