These labor actions are occurring at a time of declining real wages and unemployment levels that hover at around 35 percent. Inflation last year ran at 7 percent, up from 2.2 percent in 1999. The union federation COSATU estimates that 1 million jobs have been eliminated over the past decade.

The NUM took a strike authorization vote among 155,000 coal and gold miners nationwide after two months of negotiations failed to reach a contract agreement. Workers voted 98 percent in favor of strike action. Following the strike vote several coal companies agreed to the union's demands. But the Ingwe, Eyesizwe, and Anglocoal companies, which together employ about 18,000 miners, have refused to talk.

"The things we are asking for are basic human needs and we think they are morally justifiable," said Moferefere Lekorotsoana, the head of publicity at the NUM office in Johannesburg in a phone interview. The negotiations are deadlocked over three main issues. One is meal intervals. "In simple terms, we are asking for a lunch break of 30 minutes," said Lekorotsoana. The coal bosses contend this would disrupt production.

Second is the extension of medical disability benefits to miners who are terminally ill. Currently such workers are only eligible for two weeks severance pay for each year of service, with a cap of 10 years. For a miner who cannot work again, this doesn't leave much to live on. According to some estimates as many as a quarter of the miners in South Africa are infected with the HIV virus, making this issue particularly urgent.

The final issue for the coal miners is wages. The NUM has called for annual raises of 8.5 percent for the next two years, but Ingwe, Eyesizwe, and Anglocoal have not committed to any guaranteed increase, Lekorotsoana said.

At the gold mines, the central issue is wages. The NUM has called for a minimum monthly wage of 2,000 rand ($240), as well as annual raises of 8.5 percent. Wages for entry-level jobs in the gold mines currently range from R1,200 to R1,640 (1Rand = US 12 cents). The coal bosses have agreed to the R2,000 minimum.

Since the strike vote all of the gold mining houses "have committed themselves to the R2,000 minimum by the year 2002," the union reported, but have varying proposals of how and when wages will reach this level. The NUM says the new proposals will be discussed by miners over the next couple of days and the union will meet with the gold bosses July 27. "It must be understood that this situation neither implies nor means that the strike threat is lifted off with regards to gold producers," read an NUM press release. Other issues in dispute include annual leave and the method by which production bonuses are calculated.  
 
Electric workers, diamond miners strike
Members of the Mineworkers, Metalworkers, and MWU-Solidarity unions are acting jointly in the strike against the Eskom, which began July 24 after the power company unilaterally implemented its wage offer. The unions are demanding an 11 percent raise for the lowest paid workers and 9 percent for the highest. Eskom offered raises of 9 and 7 percent respectively.

Union officials said that more than 80 percent of the Eskom workers joined in the strike action, either picketing or staying home. At many power stations participation was 100 percent.

Members of the NUM at the state-owned Alexkor Diamond Mine on the West Coast have been on the picket lines for three weeks. The miners, most of whom are black, are demanding a larger pay raise than the company has offered NUM members. A larger raise was offered to the technicians, foremen, and administrators who are members of the Official Association of South Africa, most of whom are white. "This will widen the salary gap between the privileged and underprivileged even further," said NUM regional chairperson Abie Maarman. "We want management to close the wage gap between the two unions because this is a government institution." About 2,000 strikers and supporters from the surrounding area held a mass rally July 19 to press their demands.
 
 
Related articles:
Coal miners rally against Ohio Valley's attacks on the UMWA
Back coal miners' struggle
Coal miner campaigns for mayor of Pittsburgh  
 
 
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