South African mining union Solidarity has suggested that the days of three-year wage agreements with Lonmin Platinum are over.

The union has announced that it has rejected Lonmin's latest offer for its members, with the latest round of negotiations having now stalled.

Solidarity spokesperson Reint Dykema said that the union is "only interested in a one-year agreement", claiming that the company's failure to offer double-digit salary growth means it is impossible for the two sides to agree on any long-term deal.

Mr Dykema said that Lonmin is still pushing for the three year deal because of the stability that such an agreement would bring, but he insists that the workers would lose out in any such arrangement.

Lonmin Platinum's latest wage offer to the union offered a nine per cent increase in wages, but Mr Dykema said Solidarity would accept nothing less than ten per cent.

Sources:

Salary talks not going well in platinum sector, 15/10/07
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__business/&articleid=322004&referrer=RSS

Trade union Solidarity and Lonmin bogged down in negotiations over pay, 15/10/07
http://www.mineweb.net/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page674?oid=38339&sn=Detail
Paul Jarvis

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