Northam Platinum has reached a deal with Solidarity to bring a halt to a strike by members of the union in South Africa, it emerged yesterday (28th September).

The company has agreed to an 8.5 per cent wage rise - which is more than double the country's 3.7 per cent inflation rate - and a housing allowance increase of R242 per month.

Gideon du Plessis, Deputy General Secretary of Solidarity, claimed that the deal, which will be implemented retrospectively from 1st July 2010, is "one of the best in the industry".

However, Northam is still suffering from the ongoing industrial action taking place at its Zondereinde mine by members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).

The NUM is holding out for a 15 per cent pay hike and has rejected the firm's latest offer of a nine per cent increase, taking the strike into its fourth week.

Zwelitsha Tantsi, NUM's chief negotiator at Northam, revealed in an interview with Reuters that "the strike continues and there are no plans for talks yet".

Northam, which has not commented on the impact of the Solidarity members returning to work on production, is losing about 1,000 oz per day as a result of the NUM strike.

Sources:



S.Africa's Solidarity signs wage deal with Northam (28/09/10)



Solidarity signs deal with Northam (28/09/10)

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