Num offered new deal

Wage talks deadlocked last week after Num said it wasn’t happy with the latest offer.

NUM, the largest union in the sector with close to 30,000 members, said it had given its comments on the revised offer to the coal companies.

Coal miners could have been on achieve ever since Sunday after actually bet discussions toppled.

The Chamber of Mines, which represents the producers, said talks were set to continue into Friday evening. In terms of the revised offer, most category 4-8 employees would receive increases, staggered over a period of time, of between R750 and R1000 per month in year one and guaranteed increases of 7.5 percent in year two.

The union is demanding a 14 percent wage increase for its members, against the 5 to 8.5 percent rise that was initially offered by the mine managers.

Employers, including Anglo American, Glencore and Exxaro Resources, will meet with the National Union of Mineworkers on Thursday, she said in an e-mail.

If accepted, it could bring an end to a strike action in the sector after less than a week.

Energy experts have warned that if the coal strike drags on for more than a month the country could plunge into total darkness.

Africa’s most advanced economy, beset by power shortages, relies heavily on coal for its electricity and is also a major exporter to Europe and Asia.

The price of South African export coal has dropped 28 percent in the past year.