SA firms to sign wage deals

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s major gold and coal producers will sign wage agreements with trade unions tomorrow after workers formally approved the deals, industry group The Chamber of Mines said yesterday.

“We’re signing for coal and gold on Thursday,” chamber spokesman Jabu Maphalala told Reuters. Trade unions agreed two-year wage deals in recent weeks after months of talks, but they could not be signed until workers approved them.Workers in the gold sector accepted wage hikes ranging from 8,5 per cent to 10 per cent in the first year, depending the category of workers, while in coal, wage increases were 7,5-10 per cent.In the second year of the deal, workers in both sectors will see wages go up by inflation plus 1 percent, with a minimum of eight per cent.The agreement will be backdated to take effect on July 1.The chamber negotiates on behalf of the major gold and coal firms.The gold companies are AngloGold Ashanti , Gold Fields and Harmony Gold .The biggest coal firms are Anglo American , BHP Billiton and Xstrata.Nampa-ReutersTrade unions agreed two-year wage deals in recent weeks after months of talks, but they could not be signed until workers approved them.Workers in the gold sector accepted wage hikes ranging from 8,5 per cent to 10 per cent in the first year, depending the category of workers, while in coal, wage increases were 7,5-10 per cent.In the second year of the deal, workers in both sectors will see wages go up by inflation plus 1 percent, with a minimum of eight per cent.The agreement will be backdated to take effect on July 1.The chamber negotiates on behalf of the major gold and coal firms.The gold companies are AngloGold Ashanti , Gold Fields and Harmony Gold .The biggest coal firms are Anglo American , BHP Billiton and Xstrata.Nampa-Reuters