The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in South Africa has reached a 2 year agreement with Anglo American Platinum. The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) remains at an impasse with the company over wage increases. The AMCU took a majority of the workers at Ango American in South Africa by winning tens of thousands of workers in wildcat strikes and representation votes. South Africa has claim to about 80% of the world?s platinum resources. The NUM agreement is a challenge to AMCU to reach a deal for its workers with pay raises well above the current inflation rate of 5.3% annually. The company is pushing hard against pay raises as rising costs made over half of their mine shafts unprofitable last year.
See "UPDATE 2 ? S.African NUM union announces pay deal with top platinum firm Amplats", Reuters, December 12, 2013