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South African union seeks higher minimum wage from gold miners

South Africa's Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union will demand a monthly minimum pay of 12,500 South African rand in upcoming wage negotiations with the country's major gold producers, Bloomberg News reported June 10.

The AMCU is the second-largest union at AngloGold Ashanti Ltd., Sibanye Gold Ltd. and Harmony Gold Mining Co. Ltd., among others, according to Minerals Council South Africa.

The AMCU President Joseph Mathunjwa said what workers are currently paid is not fair, adding that 12,500 rand "can put the worker in a better place," considering higher taxes and petrol prices. Mathunjwa also called for better housing and maternity leave benefits, and a five-day work week.

The demand would mean a substantial increase to wages for miners, including Harmony Gold, which agreed to a wage deal in 2015 that increased the monthly minimum pay to 7,662 rand in July 2017.

The largest union at South African companies, the National Union of Mineworkers, recently sought an up to 37% increase in wages for the gold sector over the next two years, with a minimum basic pay of 10,500 per month for entry-level underground workers.